Cousland Chronicles: The Awakening
by W.A.R1989
Summary: The Blight is over and Ferelden is rebuilding. As Jenra tries to rebuild the Grey Wardens, a new evil rears its head! CHAPTER 48 is now up!
1. Chapter 1: The New Era

_**Cousland Chronicles: The Awakening**_

 **Chapter 1: The New Era**

 _ **The Fated Day-Fort Drakon**_

 _It was now or never…Jenra jumped off its neck and landed blade first into the head of the Archdemon. The dark dragon roared as it violently thrashed about trying to shake the warden off of it. Jenra used all of his strength to plunge his sword deeper into its head, the Archdemon fell to the ground and Jenra fell with it. As the dragon tries to get up, Jenra and Alistair stabs its head repeatedly until the Archdemon threw them away. The Archdemon got up weakened and full of rage; in one desperate attempt to stay alive it opened its mouth for another blast of fire. Jenra got up and ran toward his sword; he grabs it and heads straights for the Archdemon. As the flames were released, Morrigan started to cast her spell on Jenra…the ring the young lord had on his finger glowed and a barrier enveloped Jenra, protecting him from the flames. He slides under the dragon while gutting its underside, dropping the Archdemon to the floor. With a mighty yell Jenra plunged his sword into the Archdemon's skull….releasing a blinding golden light from the dragon's corpse._

 _The light could be seen from every corner of Denerim, the fighting stopped cold as the soldiers and the darkspawn gazed at Fort Drakon. For the soldiers, it meant their victory and for the darkspawn their destruction. Back at the fort, Jenra was struggling to stay on his feet…the power of the Old God was immense and was starting pour into him due to his tainted blood._

" _Jenra!"_

" _Stay back! Ah! Its too much!" Morrigan ran towards Jenra and grasped at the sword. While holding on to Night-fang…she chanted incantations to draw the Old God's soul to her and the new life starting inside of her. Jenra found his strength and pulled Night-fang out of the dragon causing a wave of light to explode. The Archdemon was dead, the song was broken and with it dragons control of the hordes. The darkspawn turned and ran; leaving the soldiers to cheer…the Blight was over._

* * *

 _ **Two Days Later-The Royal Palace**_

Days after the final battle, the recovery efforts were beginning throughout Ferelden…no place needed it more than Denerim. While the others were resting, Alistair was tying up some loose ends before the coronation tomorrow. He was in the tower with to speak with the former queen Anora…Alistair wanted to make peace with her, after killing her father at the Landsmeet there was no doubt she was plotting his downfall. He wanted to nip this in the bud before tomorrow when he claims the throne. At his side was his advisor, Eamon…Alistair was still greem to politics and Anora was a master of manipulation having Eamon with him would prevent any tricks she had in store for him. He opens the tower doors to reveal the former queen sitting in a chair overlooking the city.

"Anora…"

"Alistair" she said frigidly. "My mistake…King Alistair" Anora looked back at them with an eerily calm look on her face which unnerved the both of them. "So come to finish it? Am I to join my father?"

"Is that what you think? That I'm here to kill you?"

"It makes sense doesn't it? With me alive, I am a threat to your rule...there are many that are still loyal to me" she said. "Kill me and that threat ceases…"

Eamon shook his head. "You overestimate yourself; Anora…Alistair has already proven himself to be a capable king by leading Ferelden out of the Blight"

Anora then frowned. "Then what? To mock me?"

Alistair sighed. "Enough Anora, I have no intention to do any of that" he said. "I'm here to make peace that's all" Anora said nothing but kept her cold gaze fixed on Alistair. "I'm still new at…all of this, but I'm hoping we can look pass difference and work together in the future for Ferelden's sake"

"Why would I work with you?" She asked with spite.

"Because you don't really have a choice…thanks to Loghain's actions the Mac Tir family's name has been tarnished" Eamon said. "A lot of the nobles are angry, very angry for what Loghain did to them…they wanted to strip your family of its titles and land"

"Alistair rejected all proposals to punish your family for the sake of unity" he said. "In the front of the castle, we have prepared a cart to send you back to Gwaren…I would take it"

"The people of Ferelden still think of you fondly, Anora which means your father hasn't completely tarnished the Mac Tir name" Alistair said. "You can fix you father's mistakes and I would not have you as an enemy"

"You would allow me to return to Gwaren, despite knowing my hatred for you?" Anora asked.

"We are not fools, Anora…we very much know how you feel about Alistair" Eamon said. "While Alistair may want unity among the nobles, make no mistake while I am here I will make sure you are never a threat to his rule"

"So…this is the true face of Eamon Guerrin, my father was right about you all along" Later Alistair and Eamon was outside of the palace watching the cart holding Anora moving away as it went on its journey to Gwaren. Alistair had a bit of uneasiness in the pit of his stomach, Eamon had assured him that Anora would never become a threat to his rule but he wasn't so sure about that…Anora was crafty and with how vengeful she was, the former queen could strike in ways that not even Eamon could foresee. Alistair placed it at the back of his mind, whatever happens in the future he would be ready…for now at least the former warden would focus on helping his homeland rebuild.

* * *

 _ **Alistair's Coronation-few moments ago**_

 _Back on the balcony, Jenra was heading back to hall everyone was probably wondering where he was. As he took the stairs back to the Landsmeet chambers, he found the halls quiet. "What is this?" The crowd dispersed to reveal a dark skinned man in brown-gold armor, long brown hair with a big shaggy beard. Jenra eyes went wide as he took a step back…it couldn't be, it shouldn't be, he had lost all hope of seeing him again. The man came up to the stunned Jenra and placed a hand on his shoulder._

" _Hello, Jenra…"_

 _Tears flowed from his eyes. "F…Fergus" he said. "You're alive…Maker you're alive!" The two brothers embraced as the audience all applauded and cheered at the reunion of family thought lost._

* * *

 _ **Now**_

Jenra and Fergus were given the study to talk to one another privately. The young lord could hardly believe it…his older brother alive when he had given up hope of him being alive. There were so many questions he had and Jenra was sure that Fergus had a bunch of questions himself also. Fergus chuckled as he rubbed his head. "I have to say when I heard that my little brother was not only a Grey Warden but also leading Ferelden into battle? I was surprised, to put it mildly" he said. Fergus' smile then dropped a little. "Father…he would have been so proud of you. I know I am, you've done good"

Jenra lowered his head….he was afraid of this. "So…you know…" he said sadly. "I'm sorry…I was supposed to look after our home…our family" Fergus placed his hand on his younger brother's shoulder…this whole time Jenra was carrying the burden of their family's death at the while trying to save Ferelden. Stress like that would have broken a lesser man and yet his brother endured, Fergus could now see that Jenra was no long that sickly boy he once was.

"Shh, Jenra…I don't blame you, you couldn't have known of Howe's betrayal" Fergus said. "No one could…"

"Fergus, where were you? My friends and I must have been through all of Ferelden and back and we weren't able to find a clue of where you were" Fergus sat down in the chair and placed his arms on his knees while trying to clear his thoughts. His story was quite lengthy but Jenra wasn't the only one that had quite the journey. Fergus and his men arrived in Ostagar at the same time as Howe's men, at the time he was completely unaware of the Arl's treachery back in Highever. Soon afterwards he was sent to lead a scouting mission into the Korcari Wilds.

"I was ambushed and surrounded by darkspawn, my men were slaughtered one by one" Fergus said. "I thought I would be next but I was saved by the Chasind…never thought I would owe my life to the people of the wilds"

"They saved my life but my injuries were great…the recovery was long enough that had missed the battle entirely"

"You were most fortunate, brother…Ostagar was a slaughter ground" Jenra said. "I barely made it out myself"

Fergus frowned. "I saw the aftermath, it was horrible beyond words…I made the journey back to Highever soon afterwards" he said. "Father needed to know what happened" When Fergus made it back to Highever, he saw the Howe banner over his home and the soldiers patrolling the town's streets. It was from the servants that survived the attack that Fergus learned about what happened.

Fergus placed head in the palm of his hand. "Oh Maker…what those bastards did to my son and wife…" he said trying to hold it together. "They threw Oriana and Oren's bodies to their mabari to be used as chew toys and then what they did to Mother and Father"

"What…did they do?" Jenra asked afraid of the answer.

"They displayed their bodies in the middle of town for all to see" Jenra could only shed tears, even though Howe killed his family his cruelty continued through death. When Fergus didn't see Jenra's body, he had hope that maybe his younger brother somehow escaped. When travelers and merchants to Highever told stories of a white-haired warden…that was when Fergus knew Jenra was alive. "They wanted to break our people's spirit but they made the people wish for was vengeance" The people of Highever joined together to create a resistance group, they were full of heart and bravery but they were also unorganized and undisciplined. When they had found out that Fergus was alive, the resistance quickly made him leader. For months they fought with Howe's soldiers to kick them out of Highever but found that they were in need of their assistance when the darkspawn reached them. It was an uneasy alliance and very much short-lived, as soon as the danger passed Howe's men turned on them and the resistance continued.

"We were successful in driving Howe's men out of Highever, but the damage to our home was great" Fergus said sadly. "I had to bury too many of our people" When Highever began its recovery, there was news about the end of the Blight and the coronation of the new king of Ferelden. Fergus knew Jenra would be there and so he went to Denerim to reunite with his only family. "Tell me what happened to that snake Howe?"

"He's dead, I killed him" Jenra said

"Death is too good for him" he said intensely. "Forgive my bitterness, brother but I think about Oren… it barely seems like it's enough" The brothers heard a knock from the study's door and Alistair and Eamon came in. Fergus bowed. "My lord"

Alistair raised his hand. "Please Alistair is just fine…forgive me but I couldn't help but overhear your story" he said. "I knew Howe was bad, but what you described was monstrous and something I can't ignore"

"I talked it over with the nobles and they all agreed"

"Alistair?" Jenra asked.

"I know your original plan was to restore Soldier's Peak to its former glory for the Grey Wardens" Eamon said. "But that would take years, so Alistair came up with the next best thing"

Alistair cleared his throat and straightens his posture. "Jenra Cousland, in addition to restoring your family's land and titles" he said. "I also hereby strip the Howes of their titles and fortune, from here on out the city of Ameranthine now belongs to the Grey Warden Order"

 _ **King Alistair brings down the Hammer! Welcome to the Cousland Chronicles: The Awakening. As always Review and Comment!**_


	2. Chapter 2: Unfinished Business pt1

**Chapter 2: Unfinished Business pt1**

 _The Divine is the titular head of the Chantry, although since the schism split the Imperial Chantry into its own faction there are now in fact two Divines at any one time. One Divine, informally called the White Divine, is a woman housed in the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux. The other, known as the Black Divine, is a man housed in the Argent Spire in Minrathous. Neither Divine recognizes the existence of the other, nor are the informal names considered sacrilegious. No matter the gender, a Divine is addressed as "Most Holy" or "Your Perfection."_

 _Beneath the rank of Divine is the grand cleric. Each grand cleric presides over numerous chantries and represents the highest religious authority for their region. They travel to Val Royeaux when the College of Clerics convenes, but otherwise remain where they are assigned. All grand clerics are addressed as "Your Grace." Beneath the grand cleric is the mother (or, in the Imperial Chantry, the father). If a mother is in charge of a particular chantry, "revered" is appended to her title. These are the priests responsible for administering to the spiritual well-being of their flock. A mother or revered mother is addressed as "Your Reverence."_

 _Brothers and sisters form the rank and file of the Chantry and consist of three main groups: affirmed, initiates, and clerics. Affirmed are the lay-brethren of the Chantry, those regular folk who have turned to the Chantry for succor. Often they are people who have led a difficult or irreligious life and have chosen to go into seclusion, or even orphans and similar unfortunates who were raised into the Chantry life. The affirmed take care of the Chantry and are in turn afforded a life of quiet contemplation, no questions asked._

 _Only those folk who take vows become initiates. These are men and women in training, whether in academic knowledge or the martial skills of a warrior. All initiates receive an academic education, although only those who seek to become templars learn how to fight in addition._

 _Clerics are the true academics of the Chantry, those men and women who have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge. They are often found in Chantry archives, sages presiding over libraries of books and arcane knowledge. The most senior of these clerics, placed in charge of such archives, are given the title "elder," although such a rank is still beneath that of mother. All other brothers and sisters are addressed simply by noting their title before their name, such as "Brother Genitivi."—From a guide for ambassadors from Rivain._

 _ **Denerim-Royal Palace**_

In one of the many guest rooms in the Royal Palace, Leliana was getting her belongings together. When she was done, headed down for the exit…her next stop? The Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux for her audience with the Divine. Leliana gave a quick peek into the throne room; there was Alistair with Eamon and other castle staff advising the wayward king on his duties. Since the end of Alistair's coronation, the party had all gone their separate ways. She gave a bittersweet sigh, although she was glad the fighting was done…Leliana would miss her companions even the more difficult ones Morrigan and Sten. Alistair gazed at Leliana and excused himself to see Leliana out.

"So heading out?" Alistair asked.

"Yes, I shouldn't keep the Divine waiting much longer" Leliana pulled Alistair in for a hug. "But this isn't goodbye, if you ever need me I shall come"

Alistair chuckled. "That I know" he said. "Do you have any idea why the Divine would want to see you?"

"Honestly I haven't a clue, I'm just a lowly lay sister….beneath notice" Leliana said. "I'm kind of nervous, as you know my past is a little…colorful. I hope I didn't do anything that would anger the Divine"

"I doubt it's anything so severe and if it is, just know you have the King of Ferelden behind you" They reached the carriage and Leliana got in, they said their goodbyes as the horses ran for Orlais.

* * *

 _ **The Grand Cathedral-Val Royeaux, Orlais**_

Located within the opulent Orlesian capital of Val Royeaux, the Grand Cathedral is the centre of Chantry strength in all Thedas, and houses the figurehead of the religion, the Maker-anointed Divine. In the Grand Cathedral, the Chant of Light is sung in full, a process which takes a full two weeks to complete. In the audience chamber stands the Sunburst Throne, a seat reserved for the Divine. About 15 years before the Divine Age, the followers of the Cults of the Maker began building a temple dedicated to their god, as the new religion spread quickly in the Kingdom of Ciriane, also known as Orlais. About ten years later in -3 Ancient (1192 TE) Orlais becomes the Empire of Orlais, and its king, Kordillus Drakon, becomes the emperor as he conquered many lands which he then converts to his own religion. Drakon establishes Cults of the Maker as the main religion of the country, and founds Chantry. Since then the temple serves as centre of the Chantry.

Three years later, in 1:1 Divine, the first Divine is selected. Justinia I is instated as leader of the religious order of Chantry at the still unfinished temple. The Grand Cathedral is finished nearly two hundred years later in 2:99 Glory. Because of its two big towers visible for miles, the Towers Age is named.

Leliana gazed in awe of the cathedral; she had heard stories of the majesty of the Grand Cathedral but stories did not do it justice. Up in the balcony, was an older woman dressed in white and gold robes which had the symbol of the Chantry in the middle. She was Divine Beatrix Ⅲ, one of the more ambitious Divines the Chantry has had. While others Divines were content on spreading the Chant of Light to gain more of the faithful, Beatrix was different in that she has attempt to involve the Chantry in the local politics across Thedas. This has caused some controversy as some believed such a close relationship can only corrupt their cause. "Are you sure about this?"

Behind the Divine, was a woman with greying hair dressed in the red and orange robes of a Revered Mother. She came to the Divine's side and gazed at Leliana as she went in, a small soft smile formed on her lips as if seeing an old friend after so long. "The Grand Clerics are starting to ask questions about Ana, I cannot keep this quiet for long…Dorothea"

"Yes, Leliana does not seem like much but she is the right one for this mission" Dorothea said. "She knows Marjolaine and her tactics but more importantly…she can do this quietly and quickly, Most Holy"

"If you say so…" She turned to walk out of her chambers, the Divine then looked back at Dorothea. "But why do I feel like that girl isn't only here to remove our problem?" Leliana was in an grand audience chamber in front of her was five seats four of which was for advisers to the Divine, the largest and grandest of the seats was the Sunburst Throne in the middle, the seat reserved for the Divine and the center of power of the Chantry throughout Thedas. Leliana could feel her knees buckle, she almost had to stop herself from pinching herself…in the next few minutes she was going to meet the Divine face to face. Littered throughout the chamber were warriors dressed in black and white armor, their armor held an insignia of an eye surrounded by flames…they were the Seekers of Truth an order that acts as a secret police force for the Chantry, sanctioned directly by the Divine.

The organization serves as a check on the power of the Templar Order, acting in a secretive, investigative and interrogative capacity to root out corruption and protect the Chantry from internal and external threats. They also may become involved in the hunting of particularly powerful and cunning apostates. Templars fear and loathe the Seekers, as they must usually involve themselves when the Templars are failing in their duties. Chamber doors opened and the seekers stood at attention as the Divine entered the room with her advisers, she looked at Leliana with a stern and stoic gaze which intimidated her. She sat on her throne and Leliana quickly bowed. "Rise, Sister Leliana" the Divine said. "I've heard quite a lot about you, a former bard to a sister of the Chantry to taking up arms against the darkspawn in Ferelden…quite the journey you've had"

"Um, t-thank you…Most Holy"

"I called you here, because I am of need of your abilities" she said. "I was told that as a bard, you were known for being quick and efficient" Weeks ago Ana, the Divine's Left Hand, had disappeared without a trace along with her lieutenant…when she turned up days later dead carried by her lieutenant who was heavily injured. They were ambushed and held captive by a woman identified as the bard Marjolaine.

Leliana's eyes went wide. "Marjolaine?! Why would she…?!"

"Just before Mathis, my Left Hand's lieutenant, passed out he remembers seeing a man dressed in robes from the Imperial Chanty" The Imperial Chantry, a denomination of the Chantry centered in the Tevinter Imperium. The Imperial Chantry does not recognize the Divine of the Chantry of Andraste in Orlais, just as Chantry of Andraste does not recognize the Imperial Divine sometimes called the 'Black Divine'. In contrast to the Andrastian Chantry, the Imperial Chantry allows male priests and has more tolerant views of mages and magic. Due to this tolerance, Imperial Divine is also one of the Enchanters of the Circle in Minrathous.

"We believe this Marjolaine is under the employ of the Imperial Chantry" One of the advisors said. "Selling our secrets to be used as propaganda against us"

"Killing the Divine's Left Hand would cause an Exalted March against them….why would the Black Divine invite such a thing?" Leliana asked.

"We don't believe the Black Divine had a hand in this at all, but a foolish priest looks to make a name for himself" the Divine said. "Still this is troubling, I have been trying to keep this quiet from the Grand Clerics"

"But eventually it is will come out, and when the Grand Clerics tell the faithful…I must call for a March" she said. "I am not willing to commit so many lives of my people because of the runaway ambitions of an Imperial fool" Leliana sighed, just when she thought she was freed of her former mentor…fate serves to pull her back in. If she had known Marjolaine would pull this, Leliana would have ended her back in Denerim.

Leliana became serious. "Say no more, Most Holy I will put a stop to this" she said. "Just point the way"

"Our agents tell us that Marjolaine is in Nevarra…heading toward the Tevinter Imperium" another one of the advisers said. "She is surrounded by mercenaries but we believe that some of Imperial Chantry's Templars are mixed in with them"

"There are Templars with them too?" Leliana asked. "I think the Black Divine has a conspiracy on his hands" As Leliana took a bow to excuse herself to start her mission, Divine Beatrix spoke up.

"Hold Leliana, as formidable as you are…you cannot take them alone" she said. "Therefore you shall receive assistance, someone who knows Nevarra quite well" The doors opened and a small group of seekers walked in led by a woman in black and grey armor with short black hair. Her eyes were hard and stern…not just from the discipline that was instilled in her but from a hard life she must have endured. She and her men bowed to the Divine. "Leliana, this Cassandra Pentaghast of the Pentaghast royal family of Nevarra…although she hasn't been in Nevarra for a while, she knows her homeland well" she said. "Seeker Pentaghast, I assume you have been briefed?"

"Yes, Most Holy"

"Then go and may you walk with The Maker"

 _ **Showdown in Nevarra! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Unfinished Business pt2

**Chapter 3: Unfinished Business pt2**

 _There are those who would tell you that the Chantry is the same everywhere as it is here, that the Divine in Val Royeaux reigns supreme in the eyes of the Maker and that this fact is unquestioned throughout Thedas. Do not believe it._

 _The Maker's second commandment, "Magic must serve man, not rule over him," never held the same meaning within the ancient Tevinter Imperium as it did elsewhere. The Chantry there interpreted the rule as meaning that mages should never control the minds of other men, and that otherwise their magic should benefit the rulers of men as much as possible. When the clerics of Tevinter altered the Chant of Light to reflect this interpretation of the commandment, the Divine in Val Royeaux ordered the clerics to revert to the original Chant. They refused, claiming corruption within Val Royeaux, an argument that grew until, in 4:87 Towers, the Chantry in Tevinter elected its own "legitimate and uncorrupted" Divine Valhail—who was not only male, but also happened to be one of the most prominent members of the Tevinter Circle of the Magi. This "Black Divine" was reviled outside Tevinter, his existence an offense to the Chantry in Val Royeaux._

 _After four Exalted Marches to dislodge these "rebels," all that the Chantry in Val Royeaux accomplished was to cement the separation. While most aspects of the Imperial Chantry's teachings are the same, prohibitions against magic have been weakened, and male priests have become more prevalent. The Circle of the Magi today rules Tevinter directly, ever since the Archon Nomaran was elected in 7:34 Storm directly from the ranks of the enchanters, to great applause from the public. He dispensed with the old rules forbidding mages from taking part in politics, and within a century, the true rulers within the various imperial houses—the mages—took their places openly within the government. The Imperial Divine is now always drawn from the ranks of the first enchanters and operates as Divine and Grand Enchanter both._

 _This is utter heresy to any member of the Chantry outside of Tevinter, a return to the days of the magisters, which brought the Blights down upon us. But it exists, and even though we have left the Tevinter Imperium to the mercies of the dread Qunari, still they have endured. Further confrontation between the Black Divine and our so-called "White Divine" is inevitable.—From Edicts of the Black Divine, by Father David of Qarinus, 8:11 Blessed_

 _ **Imperial Highway (Between Orlais and Nevarra)**_

Leliana and the Seekers set out for Nevarra to confront Marjolaine. They had received word from the late Left Hand's intel that the bard and her party was in Nevarra City getting supplies so they could travel through the Silent Plains that bordered Tevinter. The Silent Plains was a gray, wind-blasted desolate wasteland filled with dust, fine as ash, and occasional rocks. The land was so tainted in the wake of the final battle of the First Blight that no plant would grow there for thousands of years, save for a rare flower, commonly known as the Silent Plains Rose. And if the environment didn't kill a man, then the ghasts and wyverns stalking those lands would.

Most travelers tried to stay from the plains if they can but for Marjolaine to take that route meant that she was expecting retaliation from the Chantry. Luckily gathering the supplies needed to travel would take time and by the time they finished getting what they need Leliana and the Seekers would already be in Nevarra.

"You never told us why we had to leave our armors behind, Leliana" Cassandra said. "I feel naked without it especially since we'll be facing Imperial Templars" Leliana still couldn't believe that she was working with the Cassandra Pentaghast, the Hero of Orlais. In 9:21 Dragon, Blood mages, secretly in league with a rogue Grand Cleric of the Orlesian Chantry, conspired to assassinate Divine Beatrix III. Cassandra was able to stop the conspiracy and save the Divine…for her deeds she was named Hero of Orlais and chosen to be the Divine's Right Hand, her sword. That day would forever be remembered in the annuls of Chantry history as 'The Day of Black Skies' The Divine didn't just send Cassandra to bring Marjolaine to justice, she sent her Right Hand to deliver it…if it came to it.

"You Seekers stick out like a sore thumb, and Marjolaine is a very paranoid woman" Leliana said. "If we are to bring her to justice, surprise will be our best ally and even then it may not be enough"

"You know quite a lot about this bard"

"She…was my mentor, once upon a time" Leliana said. "She taught me everything from shooting arrows to the deception that came with being a bard"

"I loved her and I thought she felt the same but…it was all part of the Game" Cassandra looked at her with an almost pitying look, not something Leliana expected from the Divine's Right Hand. Cassandra was a stern woman to be sure, but Leliana found with enough time and trust she was surprisingly affable. "If you are worried, don't…it is in the past, Marjolaine must be stopped"

* * *

 _The fourth time I attempted to cross the border into Nevarra from Orlais and was turned back by Chevaliers, I decided to take the more roundabout path: a ship back to Ferelden, and then another to Nevarra. The outcome was more than worth the trouble._

 _The whole country is filled with artistry, from the statues of heroes that litter the streets in even the meanest villages to the glittering golden College of Magi in Cumberland. Perhaps nowhere is more astonishing than the vast necropolis outside Nevarra City. Unlike most other followers of Andraste, the Nevarrans do not burn their dead. Instead, they carefully preserve the bodies and seal them in elaborate tombs. Some of the wealthiest Nevarrans begin construction of their own tombs while quite young, and these become incredible palaces, complete with gardens, bathhouses, and ballrooms, utterly silent, kept only for the dead.—From In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of A Chantry Scholar, by Brother Genitivi_

 _ **Nevarra City, Nevarra**_

Nevarra City is the original city-state from which the nation of Nevarra later expanded. It was originally part of the Tevinter Imperium before joining Andraste during her Exalted March. By the Glory Age, rule of the Nevarran city-state had changed hands several times. Ineffectual leadership and infighting had resulted in a poor populace lagging far behind the other Free Marcher city-states. In 2:46 Glory, Caspar Pentaghast of Hunter Fell deposed the king and seized the throne for himself, turning Nevarra's fortunes around. Except for the Orlesian occupation of Nevarra City between 3:25 and 3:65 Towers in the aftermath of the Third Blight, the First Pentaghast Dynasty remained on the Nevarran throne for almost three hundred years, until the Exalted Age. After Nevarra became a proper nation, Nevarra City became its capital. In the last century, the city of Cumberland has seen rapid growth, becoming one of the largest cities in Thedas and supplanting Nevarra City as the major trade center of Nevarra.

After a day or so, Leliana and the Seekers arrived in the capital city under the cover of night, the bustling city was practically a ghost-town with the citizens in for the night. Leliana saw the Lady Seeker take a deep breath with a small sliver of a smile…Cassandra must have been away longer than she thought to have such a nostalgic look on her face. Cassandra then became serious and took a step forward and gave a signal by lighting a small torch, when another torch was shown the group moved towards a safe house that was set up in advance. They were to rendezvous with the late Left Hand's men to discuss their next move. A woman came up and bowed to Cassandra. "My Lady Seeker, welcome home"

"It's good to be home, at ease" she said. "What is the status of our target?"

"The bard Marjolaine has taken up residence in the northern part of the city" the scout said. "So far their supplies have been slow to gather; no doubt impatience is starting to settle"

She's in the north…that is smart of her"

Leliana looked at Cassandra. "Why is that?"

"North of the city are the slums, which is one large maze" she explained. "Nevarra City is surrounded by water which means they can on build outwards so long. They have built up the city as it grows but that means certain areas are left to rot"

"They have two guards on all perimeters, and they rotate every hour or so"

"What of the priest with her? Can you us about him?" Leliana asked.

"The priest is identified as a man named Pellegro, he's a fairly young man and from his dress he is of fair rank…an Illustrious Father" the scout said. "He is surrounded by Imperial Templars though they don't have their armor…we also believe they have mages with them also"

"So Most Holy was correct…an upstart is the cause of this" she said. "Hmm, that is a lot more people than I would have thought…we will be in for a fight"

"We can take the guards easily, leaving you and the Lady Seeker to deal with the bard"

Cassandra nodded. "Then we strike at the edge of dawn"

* * *

 _ **Nevarra City-The slums**_

In an old estate in the slums, sellsword guard patrolled the area…no one gets in or out without Marjolaine knowing and those that get close are given but one warning to stay away or else get shot full of arrows. There was a small incident days ago with a local gang in the area that was upset with Marjolaine encroaching on their territory…they were quickly dealt and made examples of for the people of the slums. Inside Marjolaine was inside with the Illustrious Father, Pellegro Atus discussing business. "My, my…the Southern Chantry do love to crow about their so called superiority…but they have quite the skeletons in their closets" Atus said with a smirk. "I wonder what will happen when the uncultured masses of the south hears of such scandal…oh how I wish I could see it"

"I have to say, Marjolaine…I was skeptical at first bards are quite known for playing both sides for when it suits them" he said. "But you certainly came through"

"I offer only the best service and that service requires some good coin"

"Ah yes, your fee…not to worry I have connections within the Magisterium that would pay handsomely for some of this information" Atus said. The priest then raised a glass of the finest Nevarran wine. "To your new fortunes"

"And to your rise within the Imperial Chantry" Marjolaine said toasting the glass. "When you become Divine, I hope you will think of me"

"But of course" While they were drinking to their fortune, outside the Left Hand's men struck swiftly and quietly against the guards. The Left Hand of the Divine has greatest network of spies, and saboteurs in all of Thedas and the guard were finding this out first hand. When the perimeter was cleared, one of the scouts lit a torch to signal Leliana and the Seekers in the distance.

"Time for us to go…remember Marjolaine is crafty and she'll do anything to save her skin" Leliana said. "Be ready for anything"

"You'll find us Seekers hard to catch off guard" They moved into the abandoned estate and checking room by room for the bard. The mercenaries fought back but found that against the Seekers, they might as well be rabbit fighting a dragon. When they made it to an old courtyard, they found themselves fighting against Tevinter mages, a battle of which shook the estate. Marjolaine stood up and frowned…Atus looked around nervously as Tevinter Templars surrounded the priest in a defensive formation.

"W-What was that?" Atus asked.

"Unwanted guests…" Marjolaine said. "It seems we'll be making that journey into the Silent Plains faster than we thought…come Pellegro" Marjolaine and Atus heads out to make their escape.

 _ **The Race is on! Next Time! As always Review and Comment**_


	4. Chapter 4: Unfinished Business pt3

**Chapter 4: Unfinished Business pt3**

 _The Divine (or the Voice of the Maker as some commoners like to refer her as) is the titular head of the Chantry, although since the schism split the Imperial Chantry into its own faction there are now in fact two Divines at any one time. One Divine, informally called the White Divine, is a woman housed in the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux. The other, known as the Black Divine, is a man housed in the Argent Spire in Minrathous. Neither Divine recognizes the existence of the other, nor are the informal names considered sacrilegious. No matter the gender, a Divine is addressed as "Most Holy" or "Your Perfection."_

 _The duties of the Divine include the well-being of the Chantry and the organizations which are affiliated with it as well as the further spreading of the Chantry's message in the known world. However, if a Divine is too senile to rule, then her role is largely ceremonial. Another known duty of the White Divine is to accept in a ceremony the newly appointed senior enchanters of the Circle of Magi. Unlike the Black Divine, which is a pillar of Tevinter politics, our Divine tends to stay out of the politics of Thedas as the Divine is supposed to be above the pettiness of man's laws. However, it is rumored that some White Divines of the past were major players of the Grand Game._

 _In the Andrastian Chantry, it is customary for a Divine to name her successor before her death, but this does not guarantee their ascension. Upon the death of the current Divine, every Grand Cleric is required to travel to Val Royeaux for the Grand Consensus. There, they elect a new Divine from among themselves, or choose another member of the Chantry. The vote must be unanimous for a new Divine to be properly elected. Once crowned, the White Divine takes on a new name as a symbol of her office._

 _Her Right Hand (or the Sword of the Maker) is tasked with protecting the Divine from all threats outside and inside of the Chantry. Her Left Hand (or the Eye of the Maker) is tasked with watching those that would do the Chantry and her Most Holy harm. The Right and Left Hands are chosen by the Divine on the merits of their character and actions…for example the current Right Hand, the Lady Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast was chosen due to her actions in stopping a conspiracy to assassinate Divine Beatrix Ⅲ. Because the election of the new Divine also includes the Left and Right Hands, men are not able to be chosen for this role.-From Insight into the Divine, by Brother Genitivi, Chantry Scholar_

 _ **Nevarra City-The slums**_

Leliana and the Seekers continued on from their battle against the Tevinter mages in the courtyard. Leliana looked back at the carnage of the battlefield, the mages were burned alive, spires of ice burst out the chest of another mage and another became a statue of lyrium gazing at the sky with fear frozen on her face…if one was a recent observer one would think a battle between mages happened here. She had heard how formidable the Seekers were, but she had thought they were simply Templars that was given better training…now she knew the truth: the Seekers were a class of their own. "What did you do back there?" Leliana asked almost disturbed. "I have never seen abilities like those before…is that…?"

"Magic…no it is not" Cassandra said. "Each us have the ability to manipulate the lyrium in a person's body in different ways, I for example, can light it aflame"

"My friend, Alistair, trained to be a Templar…and he's never exhibited anything like that"

"Seekers do not get their abilities from lyrium"

"Then how…?"

"I'm afraid that is something I cannot share" Cassandra said. "Let us return at the task at hand…" As they continued, throughout the abandoned estate more enemies attacked them. Unlike the mercenaries and magisters they faced…these enemies were sloppy and unorganized. Their armor…if one could call it that was shoddy and looked quite ready to fall apart, the poor bastards never stood a chance as they were simply lambs to the slaughter. "Members of the local gangs around the slums…no doubt they were hired to be fodder in case of an attack" Leliana sighed as flashbacks of her life under Marjolaine came back to her.

" _There, she made it out" Leliana said relieved. "…Why isn't she running?" They made it to Marjolaine, despite distracting the guards she looked no worse for wear. "Marjolaine! I fought the ones I could, but there must be more"_

" _It's all right"_

" _We can tell them about the papers, there must be an embassy. Orlais can petition" Leliana said. Honestly, Leliana was trying to make herself feel better…to no avail. Her heart was pounding, she felt like she was going to throw up…she just felt awful, Leliana wanted to make things right but instead she might have gotten them caught._

 _Marjolaine whispered in her ears. "Shh, my pretty thing, shhh"_

" _I'm sorry I brought us back here, Majolaine" she said on the verge of tears._

" _Don't be, you were perfect" Leliana gasped, her eyes went wide as she felt sharp pain in her stomach. She looked down and found that she was stabbed; Leliana went to her knees as she pulled out the knife._

" _Leliana! You bitch!" Tug growled. The dwarf attacked Marjolaine while Sketch prepared a spell. Marjolaine just calmly dodged and hit the dwarf hard enough to knock him out, she then rushed Sketch and kneed him in stomach to knock him out cold. Leliana's vision was getting blurry; she shook her head trying to keep the darkness away. A man in heavy armor approach them, she recognized him it was same captain that Marjolaine flirted with yesterday night. He came with guards that quickly surround them; Marjolaine walked beside him and smirked._

" _Well, well, well" he said. "An Orlesian spy caught with her hands on hard-won Ferelden intelligence. You'll be worth a pretty sum" He walked forward and grabbed Leliana's face so she was looking at him, the captain gave the most disgusting smirk. "Once we've had our fun, of course" He signaled one of his men, the last thing Leliana saw was a man and then darkness._

"Yes, this is very much Marjolaine's work…she is quick to betray those she can't use anymore" she said. Leliana's eyes went wide. "Or…merde! We must hurry!"

"What is going on?"

"Marjolaine tried this when she betrayed me…she and Pellegro are trying to escape!" They mowed through the rest of the enemies, not even giving them a chance to fight back. They made it to the estate's main hall…it was empty but the bottles of Nevarran wine on the table showed that they were here at one point. Leliana picked up the bottle and felt it; it was still warm to the touch which meant it's been a short while since they left…they could still catch up to them. "Everyone start searching the room"

"What are we looking for?"

"Anything…there is likely a secret passage in this room" They turned the room upside down looking for a switch that would help them catch up to Marjolaine. Nothing was out of the ordinary in this room…it didn't make any since, the main hall had one way in and out. Any other way and Marjolaine and Pellegro would have been sighted by them or the scouts. Leliana sat down and compose herself as she tried to think…her eyes waivered to a torch left of the room. She saw that it was slightly askew from the rest of the torches in the room; she came to it and turned the torch which opened a passageway going down.

* * *

 _ **Old Passage-Marjolaine and Pellegro**_

As Leliana and the Seekers headed towards them, Marjolaine and Pellegro headed down to their carriage for escape. The passage they were in was cold and wet, and smelled of corpses…they thought they could hear moaning but have been the wind echoing from an opening somewhere. According to the gang they hired, this old passage was in reality part of the Old Necropolis underneath the city…several of these passages existed throughout the city. It was abandoned for the Grand Necropolis just outside of the city.

"Marjolaine? I wasn't expecting you so soon…" one of her men said.

"It is time to go" she said walking pass him.

"Go? We don't have all the supplies needed to traverse the Silent Plains" he said. "It would be a fool's errand" Marjolaine stopped and without any warning placed a dagger into the guard's gut. Her men took a step back as the body dropped.

"You little fool…you should know by now that I loathe anyone who questions me" Marjolaine gave the rest of her men cold gazes that made them flinch. "Any other concerns?" Her men were silent. "I thought not" In the distance, the bard could hear footsteps close behind them…Marjolaine scowled darkly.

"See what happens when you question me?" she asked. "Delay them" Her men went up to face Leliana and the Seekers…however little did they know that their group had split up and the scouts used themselves as decoys. An arrow flew pass Marjolaine's head and hit Pellegro's shoulder…the imperial priest now used to battle simply screamed in pain while the Templars swarmed around them.

"Ah, pretty thing…you have a way of showing up at the most unexpected places" Marjolaine said. She then smirked. "You must have missed me more than I thought" The bard turned facing Leliana with an arrow primed for her head and the Seekers with their swords pointed at the Imperial Templars. She and her entourage were surrounded on all sides with no way to escape and the men she sent most likely were dead. Marjolaine sighed and put her hand up. "Well I know when I'm beaten…I would like to parlay"

Leliana frowned. "You have some nerve, Marjolaine…you expect mercy after killing the Divine's Left Hand?"

"I know I lot of things, things that would be of some use to the Divine" Marjolaine said. "For example, Pellegro's contacts in the south" Pellegro's eyes went wide…and then he glared at the bard. "You get your information and I'll walk away never to bother the Chantry again…sounds like a fair trade"

"You bitch!" Leliana could only shake her head; this was classic Marjolaine…betrayal to save herself. However this time the bard was not going to talk her way out of this, not this time…what Marjolaine failed to understand is when she killed the Left Hand, she declared war on the Chantry and the Maker himself. She would never have peace as the faithful would never stop hunting her. Cassandra came up and hit the bard with the hilt of her sword, surprising Marjolaine.

"As if we would negotiate with scum like you, Most Holy's orders are quite clear" she said raising her sword. "For your crimes bard, death…may the Void take you" Marjolaine's eyes went with wide…her luck ran out. The sword struck and blood flowed as Marjolaine fell to the ground, her lifeless eyes staring at nothingness. Cassandra approached the fearful Pellegro and sheathes her sword. "Men, round them all up, the faithful shall judge them"

* * *

 _ **The Grand Cathedral-Val Royeaux, Orlais**_

Days later after the capture in Nevarra, Divine Beatrix revealed to all the death of her Left Hand and set a public tribunal in a few days. Of course Pellegro and the Imperial Templars were already done for but this trial was simply publicity to reinforce the faithful's belief in the Chantry. Tevinter would here of this and curse the name of the south and southern Chantry but it would all be bluster. With her obligations done, Leliana packed up her things to head back to Ferelden and help rebuild Lothering. "Going so soon, Leliana?"

Leliana looked behind her. "Dorothea?"

"It's been a long time, my friend" she said. "I've heard some good things from Seeker Pentaghast, you've impressed her…quite a difficult thing to do"

"It was nothing, just fulfilling my obligations to Most Holy"

"It was very much something, Leliana…Seeker Pentaghast is the Divine's Right Hand which means she has Most Holy's ear" Dorothea said. "For what I've been hearing…Divine Beatrix is thinking about making you her new Left Hand"

Leliana narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Really? I did not know that…" she said. "Dorothea, you wouldn't have anything to do with Most Holy summoning me here, would you?"

"Of course not…how could a person of my standing ever have the ear of the Divine?" Dorothea said. "Most Holy simply recognized talent went she see it, if I was you I would take her offer if she asks"

Dorothea then walked up and placed her hands on her shoulder. "You are meant for so much more, Leliana, never forget that" she said. "Now if you excuse me, I have other duties to attend to" The Revered Mother walked away as Leliana thought about what to do next…little did the former bard knew that her path was set the moment she stepped onto the Grand Cathedral.

 _ **Next Time! Review and Comment!**_


	5. Chapter 5: The Golems of Amgarrak pt1

**Chapter 5: The Golems of Amgarrak pt1**

 _Very little remains of Caridin's writings. The memories say the Paragon destroyed much of his own research. What madness would drive him to do such a thing? King Valtor preserved what he could; thanks to him we have something to work from. Nereda, my mage colleague, believes lyrium is the key._

 _I have ordered more iron from the Miner's Guild. The shaft-rats will deny this request, citing our "waste" of good iron, but I've prepared for this eventuality. I've come up with an alternative: the casteless. No-one will miss them, and it's far better for them to die in the service of this great experiment than to continue living their worthless lives. Nereda seems reluctant, but she is from the surface and doesn't understand. No matter, she wants the research to continue as much as I do, and will eventually come around._

 _A breakthrough! Nereda bound a Fade spirit to the construct and it moved! We'll have something concrete to show to the nobles and the Shaperate, once we put it back together. Someone must have overlooked a missing seam. When the construct came alive, the head tore itself from the body, and...scrambled off somewhere. Nereda says it's nothing to worry about. She's out looking for it now. In fact, that scratching at my door is probably her.—Sins of the Past._

 _ **Highever**_

Situated on the north coast of Ferelden was Highever, the ancestral home of the Couslands and one of only two Teyrnirs left in Ferelden. In recent months, the city has been through a lot…their lord and lady was murdered by the treacherous Arl Howe, a man once thought of as a friend. The city was then occupied by Howe's men until one of the Cousland sons returned to drive Howe's men out. Then they had to face part of the Blight until the other Cousland son stopped the Blight and saved Ferelden. After so much misfortune, Highever was looking to come back stronger than ever.

"Alright men, put your backs into it!" Jenra said. "Now pull!" Jenra and some of the men of city pulled with all of their might to raise the roof of house they helped build. The finished roof was lifted off the ground and then they slowly started to lower it down on the rest of the house. "Easy, easy…" The roof was gently put in place and the builder went to reinforce the roof, Jenra wiped the sweat off his brow.

"My lord, we can handle it from here…why don't you get some rest" one of the townsfolk said.

"You sure?"

"Yes we are sure, you have been out here since dawn and it has been a long time since you've been home" he said. "I'm sure you wish to enjoy your stay, until its time for you to leave for Ameranthine"

"Very well, but if you need me do not hesitate to ask" Jenra grabbed his cotton shirt off the floor and put it on. He then headed inside the castle; after he freshened up he could hear Fergus' voice and a few others inside their father's study. Fergus rubbed his eyes and sighed as he looked at the documents in his hands.

"What Maker-forsaken thing happened in this castle to drain the coffers this severely?" One of the advisers asked. "Payments to Antiva and Tevinter…what was Howe doing?!"

"How ironic…Howe fails to end the Cousland family but the debts may be the end of us" Fergus said. "It will take years to pay these off…"

"Not necessarily…"

Fergus frowned. "No, absolutely not! Our people have been through too much for us to burden them with taxes"

"My lord, it's either placing taxes on the commoners or begging for a loan from the king" another of the advisers said. "Either way something must be done…"

"If I may be so bold, I do have an idea of my own" Jenra said coming into the study. "We can sell our services to Ferelden, when I was traveling my companions and I were often on the brink of poverty"

"So we took jobs…headhunting, labor, or escorting merchant bands anything to gain coin" he said. "There are plenty of scoundrels out in Ferelden that are taken advantage of the recovery efforts, and a lot of the lords forces are stretched thin from the losses against the Archdemon"

"But what of Highever? Your plan is all well and good, my lord but wouldn't that slow our recovery efforts also?"

Fergus crossed his arms. "Hmm, well…Highever was hit the least from the Blight and most of the damage from Howe's men are close to being repaired" he said. "I do believe we can do this, with enough planning" The advisors was about to say something but Fergus held up his hand.

"We can discuss this later, dismissed" Fergus then sighed. "I don't know how father does it…if its not the boredom, it's the bickering" he said. He then looked at Jenra. "I'm almost envious of your position…"

"Trust me, brother…you do not wish to be a Grey Warden" As they talked one of the servants came in and approached Jenra with a letter. The letter had the seal of one of the dwarven houses. "Dear Warden…"

* * *

 _I know this is out of the blue, but I need your help. Days ago, the head of my house, Anwer Dace, ordered an expedition to uncover a lost thaig. They called it Amgarrak or victory, out of arrogance or optimism I don't know…but I do know this, they hoped to earn a victory for the dwarven people by recreating Caridin's research. But the thaig was abandoned, and the researchers lost…the Deep Roads swallowed Amgarrak and the dreams of reclaiming our former glory. Anwer sensing he could do what Paragon Branka could not sent an expedition team despite the darkspawn returning to the Deep Roads after the defeat of the Archdemon on the surface…a fool's errand. My brother was with them…they never returned and I fear for his safety._

 _I write to you, Warden, because you have accomplished things others have declared impossible. Help me find my brother and bring him home…this is matter of great sensitivity, and I trust no one but you._

 _Ever your humble servant, Jerrick Dace_

 _ **The Deep Roads-Outside the Amgarrak Thaig**_

Before Queen Getha was deposed, it is said that she delivered the only remaining fragments of Caridin's research to House Dolvish. Legends say that House Dolvish bankrupted itself by establishing a secret research laboratory in the Deep Roads. With the help of a Tevinter magister, they sought to recreate Caridin's work. Fedrik, the last scion of House Dolvish, promised the Assembly a new golem fresh from Amgarrak, knowing it would raise the Dolvish clan again to prominence. But when no golem materialized, Fedrik was ruined. He died years later, and with his death, House Dolvish was no more. Amgarrak was once a forge where dwarven smiths sought to research, replicate and improve Caridin's work by studying and altering existing golems. However, contact with the thaig was lost under mysterious circumstances.

One of the greatest ironies in Thedas is while the Blight ravages the surface, the dwarves underground goes through something of a renaissance. During this time, more dwarves are born during this time...expeditions into the Deep Roads to recover the history of the dwarven people occurs and in general cultural reawaken occurs in Orzammar. Due to this one would think the dwarves of Orzammar would want the Blight to continue to ravage the surface but truth is with no other thaig to trade with other than their estranged sister-thaig Kal-Sharok…Orzammar needs the surface to continue existing. By joining the surface in fighting the Blight, the dwarves sacrifice their golden age for continuous warfare against the darkspawn until the next Blight strikes the surface. However with only two more Blights and two more archdemons to slay the time of peace they would have is limited with only endless war for the dwarves to look forwards to.

Jenra made it into the Deep Roads and met Jerrick Dace, the dwarf that wrote the letter, and his faithful bronto he called Snug. Jerrick Dace was a stout but muscular man with well-groomed reddish-brown hair. He wore a light brown armor that had the symbol of House Dace on the center of the plate. Among his people, he has a growing reputation for getting difficult tasks done. An elite veteran of many Deep Roads expeditions, Jerrik has survived The Battle of Umgol Hale, The Last Stand of Paerin Aeducan, and was pivotal in the recent campaign that pushed the darkspawn from Orzammar's mining tunnels out past Caridin's Cross. Together they traveled to Amgarrak while avoiding the now resurgent darkspawn. "Thank you again for helping me, Warden. Everyone else had given up, but I couldn't abandon Brogan…he's my brother"

Jenra nodded. "I understand, nothing is more important than family"

"I want to apologize for asking you to come alone…House Dace does not want the location of Amgarrak known to the rest of Orzammar"

"Why so secretive, though?" Jenra asked.

"House Dace sacrificed many men to discover this place. I disagreed with Anwer on having the expedition when the darkspawn are resurgent but I do agree that any knowledge here should be ours to do with as we please" Jerrick said. "My brother is my primary concern but Amgarrak hides secrets…great ones"

"So how much trouble are we expecting?"

"A lot…a party of over twenty men doesn't just disappear" he said. "There's something in there…and I'm guessing it's not friendly" Jerrick frowned a little. "Just be prepared for anything…" They traveled deeper into the tunnels leading up to the abandoned thaig…as they gotten closer the saw bodies littering the ground. Jerrick checked the bodies and they all had the same House insignia as himself.

"It looks like darkspawn got to your men" Jenra said.

"Feh! Darkspawn…our men will not have fallen to such a modest number of darkspawn" Jerrick said. "No there's something more sinister here…" Jenra looked at the bodies closely…the darkspawn wasn't just cruel to the living; they were also cruel to the dead. All of the victims of darkspawn were usually mutilated and then propped up as a twisted tribute to the Old Gods but the warden saw none of it. Jenra heard loud whispers in head, loud enough to pound his brain into mush…a first for him. "Warden? Are you okay?"

Jenra grasped his head as he composed himself. "Get ready…darkspawn and a lot of them" Jenra took his blade out as did Jerrick. The darkspawn ran towards them and then…ran past them and out of the tunnel behind them. "What?"

"This is…new, you think maybe the darkspawn didn't see us?" Jerrick asked.

Jenra frowned. "No they saw us, they just ignored us…the darkspawn was running from something" he said. "They were scared"

Jerrick looked at Jenra. "What could scare darkspawn?"

"I don't know…" Jenra then looked at the bodies. "But I think it has something to do with these deaths…" They headed deeper into the tunnels where they were stopped by what looked like flames of darkness. Jenra looked at Jerrick but the dwarf just shrugged…he had never seen anything like this before either. The flames were everywhere but the duo could not feel any heat…they then heard footsteps and inhuman screeches. More darkspawn ran towards them but were dissolved into nothingness when touching the flames.

"How in the sodding hell are we going to get past this?" Jenra looked around; this looked impassable until he saw a shimmering in the distance. "Warden, what are you doing?"

"I think we found a path…and I think its magic" Jenra said. "What's magic doing down here?"

"If I remember correctly from the notes, Amgarrak often had magisters from Tevinter here" Jerrick said. "Perhaps they worked on the tunnels while they were here" Using the magical current, the duo was able to get past the dark flames…a few more steps and they would be in Amgarrak.

 _ **The Mystery of Amgarrak unfolds! Next Time! Review and Comment!**_


	6. Chapter 6: The Golems of Amgarrak pt2

**Chapter 6: The Golems of Amgarrak pt2**

 _ **Amgarrak Thaig**_

Jenra and Jerrick made it to the Amgarrak Thaig after a challenging passage through the tunnels. While they were on their way, the duo was faced with strange phenomenon…like darkspawn attacking them and then suddenly disappearing before their eyes. Another phenomenon was a golem the duo found in the tunnels, it had no control rods but came to life anyway…at first Jenra and Jerrick anticipated a fight on their hands but instead the golem just followed them which unnerved them to no end. However soon they found the golem to be useful as it helped then fight through the dangers that was in their way.

As Jenra and Jerrick made their way in, deepstalkers rose from the ground and ran past them. Deepstalkers were opportunistic ambush hunters, a small group like theirs would be perfect for a decent amount of them but they instead they ran away. They were scared like the darkspawn before…after the last deepstalker ran out, the door shut on Jenra and Jerrick. Jenra went to open it but was blasted backwards just like in his cell back at Fort Drakon.

"What the…? Magic?" Jerrick asked.

"Wards to be exact…and strong ones at that" Jenra said getting off the ground. "Without a mage, we're not going to open this"

"Blast! We'll have to find another exit…if we can find one"

Jenra held his head again as his darkspawn sense was going crazy again, what was going on? His senses never felt like this even during the final battle in Denerim where the entire city was overrun with darkspawn. There was a stirring in his blood, as if the taint within him was afraid of this place…what in the Maker's name could scare a corruption like the Taint? "Something…something doesn't feel right about this place…"

"Hey now, Warden, keep your wits about you. Dozens of men have been lost here, and I'm not looking to add to that number" The party headed farther in, Amgarrak was old but did not suffer the damage like the other thaigs did…if one could clear all the dangers from this place, they could make this thaig livable again. Out of nowhere, Jenra and Jerrick could hear inhuman screeching but it didn't sound like darkspawn. Out of the corner of their eye, a small slithering thing dropped and skittered away…it was too small to be darkspawn but too large to be a deepstalker.

"Any idea what that thing was?" Jenra asked.

Jerrick shook his head. "No, that was not any creature I recognize" he said. "I don't like this…" Soon something caught the dwarf's eye; journals…his eyes went wide when he saw the seal on the front. "By the Stone…"

"What? Found something?"

"This journal belongs to Darion Olmech, a scholar that works closely with House Dace" Jerrick said. "Perhaps he found something out about Amgarrak…"

 _"... We learned of an old laboratory called Amgarrak, where a man of Orzammar and a mage of Tevinter were attempting to recreate Caridin's work. Amgarrak was mentioned in Branka's notes, although why she did not pursue it is a mystery."_

 _"They used not stone or metal, but flesh. Flesh of the dying, the diseased, the casteless. We found evidence of this - a putrefying construct of meat and bone. It looked awkward and headless, and the stench was unbearable."_

Jenra was disturbed by this…Branka was obsessed with anything connected to Caridin and his work with golems. So much so that she offered up her entire house to the darkspawn so she could gain passage to the Anvil of the Void. For the late Paragon to not pursue Amgarrak meant that she was aware of the dangers her and that danger was probably reason why his blood was stirring in fear and why darkspawn was running away from the thaig. Jerrick took one step forward and heard something wet and squishy…he looked down and his eyes went wide.

"Blood and lumps of flesh…ancestors preserve us, I'm afraid of what we'll find here" he said. "I hope we can find my brother"

They continued on their way, following the path of what may be a part of the Harvester. As soon as they made it to an intersection, a sentinel golem awoken and attack the party…it must have been left here to ensure no one could uncover more of Amgarrak's secrets. Snug charged at the golem pinning it to the wall while Jenra and Jerrick went up and took out the golem quickly. More rumbling could be heard behind them as more golems awakened to attack them; Jenra formed his blood claws and slashed the golems dissolving the armor. The steel golem charged with electricity and fired at the sentinels around allowing Jerrick and his bronto to take them out.

As they continued, they came by a camp made by the expedition team…items were all on the floor while their cots were broken. It looked like the expedition team had a run in with the sentinel golems and were unlucky…at least that's what they thought initially as they had yet to see a body. The supply chest the team took with them was surprisingly free from damage. Jerrick went to check the chests and found that his hand went through them like air. "What is this? How is it I can see the chests but not touch it?" Jenra saw a ghostly figure appearing behind Jerrick, Jenra took out his sword.

"Jerrick, behind you!" Jerrick looked back and jumped back with his weapons out as ghostly figure approached them. The ghostly figure wore armor with House Dace's insignia…Jerrick recognized the figure.

"Brogan…Brogan, it's me Jerrick" he said. "W-what's wrong with him? Can't he hear me?" He went to touch his shoulder and like the chests, his hand phased through him. "What…is this? Magic?"

"This is not any magic I've seen before"

"Pitter-patter, pitter patter. Listen…the shadows, whisper…" Brogan spoke, they could hear him but he couldn't hear them.

"What is this? Some sort of…surfacer curse? He's here…I can see him…he's still alive…" Jerrick said. "Something's happened to him, Warden…we need to find out what" He looked at Brogan. "I'm going to save you, little brother…just hold on…" The party went forward past him to search for clues…while they walked they could sense something close to them.

"I think we're being followed…" the dwarf said. "Why isn't it attacking?"

"Don't know…but keep your guard up" They continued being wary of whatever was following them. Up ahead they found another journal by Olmech and a pile of bones.

"Who this is was torn limb from limb…ghastly" Jenra picked up the journal.

" _The switches divert the lyrium streams, causing unpredictable effects. Sometimes it even alters the environment, changing it to look - even feel - different. It must be magic, but our understanding of such things is limited."_

"Switches…what switches?"

"Hmm, I think I saw one of them back in the central room" All of the sudden an arrow flew past the Warden's head. A ghostly figure appeared aiming a crossbow at them; the party went to cover as more figures appeared. The dwarves believes that the soul of the worthy who were not blind to the Stone's influence and lived by her are believed to return to and to rest in the Stone after the words of a ritual are said. In death their spirits become part of the Ancestors who guide and care for their descendants for eternity as well as make the Stone stronger.

They also believe that the victors of the Provings, battles of great honor, are favored by the Ancestors who "speak" by showing their favor. The most worthy, the Paragons who are the greatest examples of lives spent in service to fellow dwarves, are believed to join with the Stone in life and to become the living Ancestors. However the unworthy such as the casteless or surface dwarves are said to be outright rejected by the Stone so that their failings may not weaken her. The spirits that are rejected by the Stone are believed to be unable to rest, and after their death they become rock wraiths or malevolent phantasms wandering remote caverns.

"Unworthy ones, you will not stop me!" Jerrick rushed the phantasms with his swords in hand; Snug followed his master into battle.

"Jerrick wait, we need a plan!" A ghostly sword rose behind the warden, at the last minute Jenra rolled out the way…he glowed in spirit energy and sliced through the phantasm. The battle ensued, the runic golem threw rocks at the phantasms and the shades dissolved into mist. Jerrick cut down two while his bronto charged through with reckless abandon. Jenra was surrounded by phantasms; the warden gathered the latent spirit energy into his body and released it all at once blowing back the spirits. The battle ended and they party continued on, as they walked downed the stairs they once again saw the strange white creature skittering to a crevice in the wall.

"Did you…did you see that? It had hands and a face…" Jerrick said unnerved. "There's some foul magic at play here…" Much further out they were met with a most gruesome sight…piles of mutilated bodies in a large pool of blood that was still fresh. They were all skinned leaving muscle and exposed bone and from the look on some of the faces they died in fear. "I know these men…Ancestors, did that thing do this?"

"Not alone, it didn't…"

"You think there's more of that thing?"

"There's always more…" Jenra said. "Hmm? What's this?" Jenra walked into the room in front of them, it held a large orb laced with lyrium and held in place with chains. Underneath it was a deep well.

"By the stone…an honest to goodness lyrium well" Jerrick said. "Back before we lost the Deep Roads to the darkspawn, we used to be able to handle lyrium much safely and efficiently than now" Jerrick went around to the other side to the pedestal. "Hmm, I wonder if it still works…"

"Uh Jerrick, I don't think that's wise…" It was too late as the dwarf pressed down on the pedestal. The environment around them shifted as the large lyrium orb spun around at high speeds. There was a flash as the duo cover their eyes; by the time they had their vision back…the orb had stopped spinning. They were still in the same room, but something felt different. "Maker's breath…"

"I felt…shift…in my gut. Everything looks so…unreal…"

"I know this feeling; it was like when I traveled to the Fade…" That was when he had a thought; these lyrium wells were somehow capable of shifting anyone who uses them between different levels of the Fade. That was the reason why Brogan and some of the chests could not be touched; they were not in this plain of reality. If Morrigan was here, she would have a field day trying to study this place.

Jerrick just scratched his head. "The Fade? You mean the place where surfacer dreams come from? This is it?" he asked. "Huh…I thought it would be stranger…"

"We're not really in the Fade…just a layer beyond the veil" Jenra said. "My mage friends could explain it better than I could. Were all of the lyrium wells like this?"

"Don't know, all I know is that that it was used to refine lyrium safely and effectively" the dwarf said. "But that's enough about that…can we help my brother?"

Jenra nodded. "I believe so"

"Then let's get back to them" As the party left the room, they could hear inhuman groans. To the side of them were two revenant-like creatures. "More sodding enemies…let us be done with them" All of the sudden the revenants raised their hands and Jenra and Jerrick felt themselves being pulled by them. As much as they tried to resist, they were swept of their feet and pulled to them…with the demons' swords waiting for them at the other end.

 _ **Into the Fade…kinda! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_

 _ **Hope you all have a Happy Holiday and a Merry Christmas!**_


	7. Chapter 7: The Golems of Amgarrak pt3

**Chapter 7: The Golems of Amgarrak pt3**

 _ **Amgarrak Thaig**_

As the party left the room, they could hear inhuman groans. To the side of them were two revenant-like creatures. "More sodding enemies…let us be done with them" All of the sudden the revenants raised their hands and Jenra and Jerrick felt themselves being pulled by them. As much as they tried to resist, they were swept of their feet and pulled to them…with the demons' swords waiting for them at the other end. Jenra tapped into the veil, since he was technically in the Fade…his spirit warrior abilities was stronger. He resisted the pull of the demon's grasp and dropped to the floor before he could be skewered. Snug charged the other demon and it smashed it against the wall freeing his master. Once Jenra and Jerrick got to their feet, they quickly attacked before the demon could retaliate. They headed back to Brogan, but the dangers of the thaig didn't make it easy for them to get to him. Whatever was hidden was so dangerous that they had to seal it behind the veil…in trying to save Jerrick's brother could they be unintentionally whatever was here.

They went back the way they came but found that some doorway they could no longer access, so they took detours that were longer and placed them into traps. Luckily most of them did not work from centuries of not being used and lack of maintenance. "Have to hide, have to be quiet" Jenra and Jerrick could hear the ramblings of Brogan until finally they was able to meet up with him. Jerrick ran to him…Brogan was unharmed, but there was great fear in his eyes, the dwarf had seen some terrible things and Jenra could only shudder at what this poor man saw.

"Brogan! I'm here, you're all right…" It took a few moments for Brogan to snap out of his stupor…being in this place had messed with his sense of time and his mind. As the dwarf's eyes cleared he looked at Jerrick.

"J-Jerrick?" His eyes then went wide as he realized his eyes were not playing tricks on him. "No…no, why are you here?! You can't stay! Get out! Go!" Jerrick got hold of his brother as Brogan went manic as he started to ramble madly.

"Brogan, calm down! The Warden and I are here to save you!"

"You can't save me, you can't save yourself…we're all dead…dead…dead"

"What happened here, Brogan?" Jenra asked calmly. "You are safe, we can take you home" Brogan stopped and looked at Jenra…something about the warden, calmed him and removed his fear. At least for now.

"There was a light…it was all around me, through me. A flash and then I was alone" Brogan said holding his head. "I…no, have to hide….Jerrick, have to hide…"

"We saw the bodies of the men from your team…" Brogan recoiled in fear, he didn't want to think about what happened to them…they died in agony and fear, there was nothing he could do. All he could do was hide and pray to the Stone that it didn't find him.

"Died, all dead….the screams as they're torn apart, harvested" Brogan said. "Terrible, terrible, terrible….evil this place is, must be destroyed. Find Darion….please find him"

"Darion? He's alive somewhere?" Jerrick asked.

"Yes…no…no, no, no. I don't want to be taken….get it away, the lights…make it stop, don't touch it!"

"Jerrick…he's been through a lot, best not to push him" Jenra said. "He'll make sense in time"

"Aye, Warden...rest easy, brother. You did well" Brogan went back to his mumbling as Jenra and Jerrick discussed their next action among themselves. "I know my brother well, Warden…as confused as he is, his sword arm is as steady as ever"

"I'll take you at your word" The party continued on, the demons stirred awake and attacked them. Jerrick was right; despite the trauma Brogan went through…he was formidable warrior. Fear was a great motivation for a warrior, and Brogan's fear of joining the other members of his expedition team gave him a fury like no other. Jenra charged the corpses and dissolved them with his blood claws…when one of the demons was about to strike from behind Snug charged the demon and smashed it against the wall and mauled it. When the fight was finished, they headed back to the center room of the thaig. More corpses rose and attacked; the golem dug into the floor and staggered the undead allowing Jenra and Brogan to quickly dispatch them. Aft the fight, Jenra checked the center path…before it was blocked, maybe now that they are inside the veil they can pass it. A charge was in the air as his hand was repelled.

"It is still closed…there must be some way to get past" The party headed to west path where they found room with a single switch and another one of Darion Olmech's journals. "What does it say, Warden?"

"A single passage…'There is something in here with us'" Jenra said. "The rest of the page is torn, it looks like Darion had to flee quickly"

"Well, if that's all…then let us go to the switch and…"

"No! No! Don't touch the switches!" Brogan said frantically.

"We have to, this is the only way forward Brogan" Jerrick said.

Brogan shook his head quickly. "No, not that way…that's how it starts. Itchy, twitchy fingers have to touch" he said shakily. "Have to play with everything…then it comes and takes the itchy, twitch fingers…you'll see. You'll see." As much as Jenra would love to heed Brogan's warning but without the switch they were stuck. He went to the pedestal and placed his hand on it…the world shifted back to normal and then shifted again. The barrier weakened but not enough to pass through it…Jenra could feel it though, they were getting closer, his blood stirred more and more as they got closer.

The party backtracked to the east path, a new path was opened…a simple room with a single switch and the walls lined up with golems. Jenra could sense a trap waiting for them but they had no choice but to trigger it. "Get ready for anything…" Jenra placed his hand on pedestal, the world shifted once again and then shifted back to normal. Nothing happened…did something went wrong? Groans echoed throughout the room as it shook from the golems becoming active. The golems attacked them with a fury not seen before; when Jenra tried to dodge he would just bump into Snug or the runic golem. There was not enough room for them to fight and the party was at a disadvantage. Jenra ordered the party out of the room to gain some space, the berserker golems followed but in their haste to catch them they go stuck in the corridors.

"Now's our chance!" The party seized at this opportunity, attacking the golems one by one until they crushed their numbers. When the last golem went down, the world shifted…the pedestal wasn't the key but the golems. Without the guardians, the barrier was dispelled and party could get past the central room. The haze was deeper, one way or another…Amgarrak was determined to protect its secrets. They entered the central hall where another lyrium well sat but no pedestal to activate it. Around the lyrium well were bloody footprints leading to the door on the right.

"That's a lot of blood to lose to be walking around" Jerrick said. "Someone was trying to get away from something"

"Darion…we need to hurry" The party headed into the room, where there were two switches on both sides of the room. Near the pillars were more golems…if they activated the wrong switch they would be in for another fight. "Nothing looks out of the ordinary"

"Then we will have to hope that whatever we press will point us in the right direction" Jerrick took out his weapon as Jenra picked one of the pedestals, he went to the one on the right. The warden took a deep breath as he placed his hand…the world shifted back to normal, the party anticipated another battle but none came.

"Warden" Jerrick said. "Another one of Darion's journals"

 _"They called it the Harvester. They knew it was a terrible mistake and used magic to trap it within these tunnels. Our foolish greed led us here, and now we are trapped along with it. Our only hope of escape is to destroy everything: the creature, the research, the magic that sustains this place. They are all tied together. I must get to the forge, but it is locked. Only a specific combination of switches will work. I must think more on this."_

Jenra frowned. "Harvester…so we now know the name of the thing that is scaring the darkspawn"

"I…I can't believe it" Jenra looked at Jerrick. "This is a big discovery…a way to reclaim the Deep Roads from the darkspawn"

"You cannot be serious, Jerrick" Jenra said. "Didn't you hear? The Harvester is dangerous…why else would the dwarves abandon this place? Amgarrak was meant to be the Harvester's prison"

"You don't understand, Warden…everyday Orzammar is losing ground to the darkspawn" Jerrick said. "The only respite we have is when Blights happens, and less of those are happening...my people need this!"

"Men died because that creature, you saw their bodies!"

"Yes and it's horrible but their sacrifice could lead to Orzammar's salvation!" Jerrick yelled. "And now Darion is looking to insult their memory by destroying everything. It is madness!"

"The only madness I'm seeing is right in front of me" The two men glared at each other until Brogan spoke up.

"Trust him. Darion understands. Darion sees" Jerrick walked away with Jenra frowning, if the dwarf dared to bring such dangerous secrets into the light…the warden would have no choice but to cut Jerrick down. He hoped it doesn't come to that but for the sake Orzammar and Ferelden; he would do his duty as a Grey Warden. According to Darion's journal to get to the forge they had to unlock it using a combination of switches. Jenra suspected that the wrong combination would activate the golems to attack them but if Darion get past it, then so could they. While Jenra and Jerrick were stumped on how they could start, Brogan came up and looked at switches.

Brogan without missing a step pressed two of the switches and activated the device…the world shifted. "It is open…"

"How do you know, brother?" Jerrick asked.

"The voices speak…they want peace, to join the Stone" Brogan walked away leaving his brother confused. They went back to the well room as phantasms appeared to attack them; the party made quick work of them and headed to the upper center hall. The path was indeed open just as Brogan said…Jenra's blood stirred even more, they were close to the Harvester. They entered a large room where the water and lava flowed for the forge. The heat like always was almost unbearable but to the two dwarves they were right at home.

Jerrick crossed his arms. "I thought you trusted, Darion. He said go to the forge" he said. "That's where everything is, including my research"

"No, Jerrick. Can't you hear it? Chitter, skitter…in there, waiting" Brogan said in fear. "It'll wear your face, Jerrick. Take it off in rips and strips…" The party went forward and the creature they saw from earlier skittered past them to a large grey pile of rotted flesh. It crawled on the pile and with a sickening squish dug into the pile. In their horror, the party realized that the pile was in fact grotesque fusion of dead flesh and blood in the shape of a body. It stood up and roared as it tried to charge but was held back by several chains.

"It wants us…to add our flesh to itself" Brogan said. "To grow and grow until all are it" The Harvester was the ultimate weapon, a weapon that never dulls…a weapon that sharpens after every kill. Now Jenra knew why the darkspawn and his tainted blood knew such fear.

 _ **Showdown with the Harvester! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	8. Chapter 8: Golems of Amgarrak-Aftermath

**Chapter 8: The Golems of Amgarrak-Aftermath**

 _"It found a body - rotting flesh harvested from the dead. It ripped them all apart and used them. Pelted with heads of friends, tripped in their entrails... Ran. Still alive. Only one alive."_

 _"I can still hear it out there. It knows I'm here. I cannot get back to the forge. I found a golem control rod. The golems are keeping it away for now. There's a shaft of light here. I can see my escape but I cannot reach it. The ground is too damp, the rocks too slick. I could go out there and make it quick, or... stay here. Death is certain, either way."-Last Will and Testament of Darion Olmech_

 _ **Amgarrak Thaig-Chamber of the**_ ** _Harvester_**

The first Harvester was created by the smiths of Amgarrak Thaig, who were attempting to replicate and improve upon on Caridin's work on creating golems. However Caridin destroyed much of his own research leaving the smiths little to work with. With the assistance of a Tevinter mage named, Nereda, the smiths used the corpses of casteless dwarves instead of metal and stone, claiming that "It would be an honor for a casteless dwarf to die in such way".

Nereda, using magic and lyrium sealed a Fade spirit inside the construct made out of flesh and bone. When the construct came alive, the head removed itself from the body and disappeared, becoming the first Harvester. It killed numerous people in the thaig and after witnessing what their twisted creation was capable of, they were forced to trap it in a level of the Fade via the use of the Lyrium wells and seal the thaig. Since then, people have long forgotten about both the Harvesters and the thaig…until now.

The chains that held it back broke and the Harvester charged the party. The golem charged the Harvester and tried to hold it back but it was too strong and Harvester threw the golem away like it was nothing. Jenra charged with his blood claw and impaled the construct…the Harvester's fleshed latched on to his arm and tried to pull the warden in. Jenra struggled to get free…but the Harvester's flesh had a tight grip on him. From behind the golem tossed a bolder at the Harvester to get its attention, allowing Jenra escape. That was close…anything with flesh that got close would get assimilated into the Harvester's being. While the golem fought off the Harvester, Jenra regrouped with the dwarven brothers.

With a roar the Harvester pulled its writhing entrails from its belly and hurls them outward towards the party…the fallen entrails held corrosive bile that ate at armor, even the golem's stone and steel exterior was not safe. And then there was the gas from it that choked the air and threatened to make Jenra and dwarven brothers fall to their knees. But it was not over, the scent of rotting death attracted the undead in the area, Jenra and Jerrick cut down several of the corpse while Brogan and Snug gave them space. One of the corpses came close to the Harvester and the construct absorbed the undead and its wounds healed. "By the Stone…"

"Dead…alive, it doesn't matter…will not stop until all are a part of it" Brogan said shakily. "Wear us it will….take it in rips and strips…"

"Keep the undead away from the Harvester!" The Harvester gave another ghastly shriek and the world shifted. The undead's blows no longer impacted them and the Harvester could no longer be hit but Harvester could still hit them. They were somehow outside the veil and then with horror it stuck them somehow the Harvester could manipulate the lyrium wells. The Harvester jumps up and slams the ground knocking the party back and crushing the remaining undead. The abominable construct walked over the crushed undead and absorbed more flesh into its being.

"Warden, we can't continue like this!" Jerrick said. "The more we harm it, the more it heals!" The Harvester detaches one of its many limbs, and strikes out in a broad arc in front of it knocking the party back. Jerrick was right, this was a losing fight…as long as they were outside the veil there was nothing they could do.

"The spirit…" Jenra and Jerrick looked at Brogan. "Exposed it is…attack it and it falls"

"You're not making any sense, brother…we can't attack it at all"

Jenra smirked. "Brogan is making all the sense in the world" Jenra called up his spirit warrior abilities and ran up to it with sword in hand. Using what little of the veil there was, he slashed at the ethereal body of the Harvester. The physical blade passed through the construct harmlessly but magical blade formed from his spirit cloak was enough to make the Harvester reel back in pain. Now the tide was turning and the Harvester kept its distance from Jenra's soul brand…the construct's flesh armor writhed and grew until foul boils formed all around its body. The boils burst in a jet of corrosive bile all around it, Jenra jumped back to dodge it.

The Harvester gave another ghastly shriek and the world shifted, they were back in the veil. The construct's body was solid again to protect the Fade spirit inside. "Its skin is solid again, we can attack it"

"No…do you feel it?" Brogan asked. "It hurts, it seethes" The party could feel an aura malevolence coming from the Harvester as it roared furiously to the heavens. The construct moves, faster than its large body would suggest…it headed right for Jenra and grabbed the warden as it charged at the wall. Jenra was slammed against the wall so hard that his breath was taken out. Fists grew out of its horrific shell and started to pummel Jenra…Jenra moved his head just enough to stop from being crushed. The rest of the party went to free Jenra...as the Harvester continued its flurry of fists an aura of vile, pulsating magic surrounded the construct. The undead came attracted to the aura of the Harvester to stop their advance to free up the Harvester for its assault. Jenra gather the Fade energies in the room and released it all in on large burst, freeing himself while blowing of the Harvester's arm. It reeled back in pain as their arm was starting to reconstruct itself, Jenra went on the offensive slashing at the Harvester not giving it the chance counterattack.

The undead flanked Jenra but the warden fought them off but more came…if this kept up they would be overrun by the corpses. Jenra needed to end this now. "Jerrick, Brogan give me space!" The dwarven brothers nodded and diverted the undead's attention. Jenra forced the Harvester back towards the lava pit in the center of room. Harvester sprayed a jet of acidic bile at the Warden, it ate through his armor and burned his skin but Jenra continued on despite the pain. The Harvester was at the edge; the construct realized what Jenra was trying to do and slammed the ground to make him fall back. The warden braced himself for impact taking the full brunt of the attack…his knees buckled as he held back the Harvester's arm.

The Harvester's flesh started to droop and form tendrils that wrapped around Jenra…the construct was trying to absorb him. With all of his strength, Jenra pushed off the floor and launched himself fully into the chest of the Harvester. The large creature fell back into the lava pit with the warden with it…even as the Harvester's body was being consumed by lava, it was still trying to consume Jenra. Jenra formed his corrosive blood claws and slashed at the tendrils to free himself, he then gathered the Fade energies to blow away the body. He stood up as the Harvester was sinking, its body was reforming trying to get the Warden but Jenra quickly jumped for the ledge. He grasped the edge and saw the Harvest get consumed by the lava…the heat was unbearable; he was cooking inside his own armor. Jenra's vision was starting to fade and his grip loosened…just as he was about to share the Harvester's fate, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "We got you, lad!"

It was Jerrick and Brogan pulling him out of the lava pits. Jenra on the ground, catching his breath, he got up took off his plate armor…thanks to the Harvester's bile and the heat of the lava it was of no use to him now. Amgarrak then started to shake as rubble fell to the ground. "What's happening?" Jenra asked. "Why is the thaig shaking?"

"The final safeguard…" Brogan pointed to the lyrium well as it dropped into the lava pool. "Amgarrak's sins and secrets must never come to light…to ensure this, the thaig is destroying itself"

Jerrick eyes went wide. "No! It can't come down, not now!"

"Jerrick let it go! The forge is finished, like Darion and the voices wanted" Brogan said.

"The creature is dead but there could be other notes, information to…" The lyrium well behind them exploded sending then back hard. The walls cracked all around them, as lava started to seep in and fill the thaig.

"No, Jerrick…not worth more death" Brogan said. "You know this to be true" Jerrick saw as the Amgarrak's secrets and Orzammar salvation get washed away by the flood of lava…he could only slump his shoulder and nod toward his brother. The party ran towards the exit, with Amgarrak coming down the entrance was no longer barricade by magic. They dodged falling rocks and erupting lava pits, a pillar came down behind then separating the golem from them. Lava spilled out of ceilings and walls and consumed the runic golem. The party continued to exit as the thaig filled with lava…they made to the exit as the entire tunnel fell destroying Amgarrak forever. Jerrick sighed forlornly at the sight…another dwarven heritage lost to the shadow of time.

"That's it…it's over. Everything's lost"

Brogan shook his head. "No, brother…we are still alive. Let us go home" Jerrick could nod and walks ahead. "Thank you, Warden…the evil that took place here will never be free"

"My pleasure…but what of your brother? Once you find such secrets, letting them go is quite the challenge…"

"He will be fine…maybe not now but someday"

"I've noticed you've started speaking in complete sentences now…what changed?" Jenra asked.

"The voices are gone…now that Amgarrak is destroyed, the Stone sees their redemption" Brogan said. "They are with the ancestors now" Jenra and Brogan went to Jerrick and they quickly returned to Orzammar before the darkspawn could arrive.

* * *

 _ **Highever**_

Jenra returned to Highever at nighttime…he was exhausted and couldn't wait to head to bed. His body was sore all over but any injuries he had he could have them treated tomorrow. In the hall, Fergus was there waiting for him. "Welcome back, brother…"

Jenra chuckled tiredly. "Good to be back, anything interesting happened while I was away?"

"A letter from King Alistair, he has found some recruits for the Grey Wardens and wanted your input"

Jenra sighed. "So it's back to Denerim…a Warden's duty is never over I see" he said. "Very well, after some rest I shall head there immediately" Jenra walked to his room.

"Good night, brother"

* * *

 _ **Deep Road-Former site of the Amgarrak thaig**_

After the party left, the darkspawn was back in the tunnels to corrupt without interruption. They had found several poor hapless souls from the Carta; the darkspawn quickly killed the males and sent the females to be become the horrid broodmothers. While the darkspawn had their fun…inhuman screeches echoed from the tunnels. The darkspawn grew quiet; a rarity from them…the fear set in as they quickly looked up. Harvesters…dozens of them descended from the walls and ceiling and slaughtered everything in sight. Secrets are a funny thing…no matter how much one may try to bury them; they always find a way to come out from out of the darkness.

 _ **The Legacy of Amgarrak lives on…Maker help you all…Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Recruitment Day

**Chapter 9: Recruitment Day**

 _The first Blight had already raged for 90 years. The world was in chaos. A god had risen, twisted and corrupted. The remaining gods of Tevinter were silent, withdrawn. What writing we have recovered from those times is filled with despair, for everyone believed, from the greatest archons to the lowliest slaves, that the world was coming to an end._

 _At Weisshaupt fortress in the desolate Anderfels, a meeting transpired. Soldiers of the Imperium, seasoned veterans who had known nothing their entire lifetimes except hopeless war, came together. When they left Weisshaupt, they had renounced their oaths to the Imperium. They were soldiers no longer: They were the Grey Wardens._

 _The Wardens began an aggressive campaign against the Blight, striking back against the darkspawn, reclaiming lands given up for lost. The Blight was far from over, but their victories brought notice, and soon they received aid from every nation in Thedas._

 _They grew in number as well as reputation. Finally, in the year 992 of the Tevinter Imperium, upon the Silent Plains, they met the archdemon Dumat in battle. A third of all the armies of northern Thedas were lost to the fighting, but Dumat fell and the darkspawn fled back underground._

 _Even that was not the end._

 _The Imperium once revered seven gods: Dumat, Zazikel, Toth, Andoral, Razikale, Lusacan, and Urthemiel. Four have risen as archdemons. The Grey Wardens have kept watch through the ages, well aware that peace is fleeting, and that their war continues until the last of the dragon-gods is gone.-From Ferelden: Folklore and History, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar._

 _ **Highever**_

Jenra packed his belongings as he prepared for his trip to Denerim. Alistair had lined up a bunch of recruits for him to determine if they were Grey Warden material. Afterwards, he would go to Ameranthine to establish the Ferelden branch…essentially becoming the new lord of Ameranthine. He heard footsteps coming into his room; it was his brother Fergus coming to see him out. Right behind him was Fenrir…the mabari ran to Jenra and licked his face. Jenra rubbed his hound's head and Fenrir whined a little. Jenra decided to leave his hound behind to look after Fergus and Highever while he was gone. It was hard for his hound, once a mabari imprints on their master they were fiercely loyal and wanted to be with them at all times.

"It will be all right, Fenrir…be a good boy for Fergus and look after our home" Fenrir whined but then gave a reassuring bark. Jenra then smirked. "Besides, at least you won't be bored…I heard the kennel master has lined up some suitable paramours for you" Jenra then saw his hound's ears perk up and tail wagging…the young lord chuckled, who know his mabari could be such a…dog.

Fergus crossed his arms and leaned on the wall. It was going to be difficult ruling Highever as he was going to worry about the last of his family. But he had to keep strong for his people. "So it's time…"

"Yes it is" Jenra said with a sigh. "I wish I had a little more time at home, but duty calls"

"Aye, but Ameranthine is not far from Highever…when you have time, you can always come and visit" Jenra could only chuckle sadly, if only it was like that but being a Warden meant a strong vigilance at all times or have the darkspawn ravage the lands. As Jenra was about to take his leave, Fergus cleared his throat. "Aren't we forgetting something?" Jenra looked back and saw Fergus with Night-fang in hand.

"We've been over this; brother…Night-fang is not mine to keep"

"Jenra, after everything you've been through with that sword, it is rightly yours" Fergus said. "Father entrusted it to you"

"Father entrusted it to me to keep it safe from Howe's hands but it was never meant for me" Jenra said. "It was meant for the heir of House Cousland…you"

"Maybe so…but there's too much history between you and this sword" he said. "I'll commission our finest smiths to create a new sword for our family, but I think Night-fang can continue to do some good in your hands"

Jenra sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Fergus smirked. "Nope" Jenra took the black and red sword out of his hand…the young lord had to admit it felt good have it in his hand again, like reuniting with an old friend. "Know this; brother when you wield that sword in battle…the spirit of our family is with you, always"

Jenra smiled. "I know" He gave his brother a hug and headed out of the castle. As he walked towards the city gates, the townspeople waved goodbye and gave their encouragements to their lord. Some even gave him gifts for his journey…Jenra gave one last glance at his home, smiled and went on his way.

* * *

 _ **Denerim**_

After two days on the road, Jenra made it to Denerim where a group of soldiers were waiting for him to escort him to the palace. The people all stopped was they were doing and crowded around, all trying to see the Hero of Ferelden…a title he was still not use to. As he walked, he could see that slowly but surely the city was getting back to normal. In recent months after the Fifth Blight, Ferelden had become something of a popular talking point in Thedas and for very good reasons. Blights historically tended to last for centuries with a devastating number of casualties, and large and at times permanent changes to the lands of Thedas. But this Blight was different…it only lasted for almost a year, the casualties while still quite large were remarkably insignificant and Ferelden suffered little to no damage to their lands. This caught the attention of the nations of Thedas especially Ferelden's bitter enemy Orlais…now the barbaric 'dog-lords' were looking quite formidable.

In the next few days Thedas would see if this was simply a run of good fortune or if Ferelden was new power player on the world stage. Jenra's escort arrived in front of the Royal Palace where Alistair and Arl Eamon were waiting for them. "Your Majesty, My Lord…it has been a while" Jenra said with a bow. "Quite the audience here"

"Apologies…it was the advisers ideas, they wanted a big showing" Eamon said. "So how goes Highever, my friend?"

"It is well, though our economy is suffering right now" Jenra said. "I have no doubt Fergus will put our home on the right path"

"So tell me, how many recruits did you find, Your Majesty?"

"I found seven of Denerim's finest warriors" Alistair said. "However the other lords were quick to send their finest as well, I guess they see being in the good graces of the Hero of Ferelden will be good for them"

"So in total there are twenty recruits" Eamon said. "Does this sound acceptable, Jenra?"

"More than acceptable, but there is more to being a Grey Warden than fighting prowess" Jenra said. "Their dedication is the most important…" Alistair said nothing as he knew exactly what Jenra was talking about…

" _Daveth, step forward" The thief hesitated at first but did as the warden said and took the chalice and drunk the blood. Daveth slumped back in pain as he could hear soft dark whispers in his head, his eyes rolled back._

" _Maker's breath!" Jory said horrified. Jenra could only look on in horror as Daveth gasped and choked until slumped to the ground with eyes dead to the world._

" _I am sorry, Daveth…" Duncan said regretfully. "Step forward, Jory" He turned to the scared soldier as Jory stepped back and drew his sword. "Don't do this, Ser Jory"_

" _But…I have a wife, a child! Had I known…"_

" _There is no turning back…" Jenra looked at Alistair; he just closed his eyes like he knew what was coming next._

" _No! You ask too much! There is no glory in this!" Duncan drew his dagger and came in close; his eyes had no anger, no sadness…just nothing. Jory swung for Duncan and the warden parried and stabbed Jory in chest. Jory's face before he died was of fear, and betrayal._

" _I'm sorry" Duncan said as he pulled the dagger out of the dead man's body. "But the Joining is not yet complete" Jenra looked on as he saw Jory on the ground in the puddle of his own blood. There was really no turning back…he would either become a Grey Warden or die from the ritual or Duncan's blade. "You are called upon to submit yourself to the taint for the greater good" The young lord hesitated, but then he thought about his family, his home and Rendon Howe he hoped his anger and grief would be enough to get him over the threshold. He took the chalice and drank._

Even though what Duncan did had to be done, it was still a terrible thing to have to go through. To kill a good man or woman to keep the secrets of the order…Jenra was trying to avoid what Duncan had to do. But people are unpredictable they can change their minds in an instant. The three men enter the courtyard where the recruits were waiting. Jenra scanned some of the recruits, at least half of the soldiers were grizzled with several scars on their bodies…they were battle hardened and experienced a very good trait to have. However their age was a problem, a person's age during the Joining determines how long that person has until their calling. The experience of these veterans was welcomed but the Calling would take them very soon.

The other half were fairly young, they were at least Jenra and Alistair's age when they started…they had some skills with the sword but were green when it came to darkspawn. It would take years for the Calling to take them but they would be the first ones to fall in battle with the darkspawn. Jenra walked up and cleared his throat as the recruits stood at attention.

"I thank you all for being here" Jenra said. "You are all here to join the ranks of the Grey Warden"

"As I look at you, I see potential in you all" he said. "However, it takes more than potential to join our order"

"I won't lie, if you join us it will be hard, it will be a constant battle with the darkspawn and you will sacrifice a lot more than life and limb" he said. "If you don't wish that, then you are welcome to walk away and resume your previous life"

"If you choose to bear this burden, know this once you make your choice…there will be no going back, you will live and die by the codes of our order" He saw some the veterans grin with excitement at this…they believed glory awaited them, a foolish belief that may get them killed. The younger warriors looked pale, the warden's brutal honesty was making them think twice about this…good the more they think about this the less casualties there will be. Then there were those with determined looks on their face, they knew the seriousness of being a warden and yet they would not run away. Brave…but they would more than bravery to survive the Joining.

"What will be your choice?" Some of the warriors decided to back away…others took longer to think about until some backed away like the others. The others stepped forward to join the Wardens…of twenty recruits seven decided to stay. Jenra nodded, seven recruits that was pretty for a start. "Those of you who have decided to turn back from this path, know that you should not feel any shame about your decision" Jenra nodded at Alistair and Eamon, and the candidates that decided to walk away was escorted out of the courtyard so Jenra could talk to the other recruits.

"Get some rest, because tomorrow we will travel to Ameranthine"

 _ **The Awakening begins! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	10. Chapter 10: Assault on Vigil's Keep pt1

**Chapter 10: The Assault on Vigil's Keep pt1**

 _Vigil's Keep is one of the oldest settlements in Ferelden, older than Denerim and Gwaren. The barbarians who battled the Tevinter Imperium chose this location for a fortress so that their warning fires would be visible at great distance, when Tevinter ships neared the coast._

 _The Vigil has seen battle in every major invasion of Ferelden. Tevinters, rival barbarian clans, and Orlesians have all held her battlements. The Vigil was the first fortress to fall to the Orlesians and the last to be freed._

 _The cellar beneath Vigil's Keep retains traces of the Avvar barbarians. To the Avvars, the Vigil was both a fortress and a holy site. The cellars bear monuments to their gods, heroes, and their rare military victories._

 _The Vigil's cellars connect to the Deep Roads far below. Evidence suggests the Avvars and dwarves traded in secret, a breach of promises made to the Tevinter Imperium in the days before the darkspawn._

 _ **Amaranthine-Vigil's Keep**_

The Waking Sea is known for its temper, and the storms that sweep in from the warmer northern waters are sudden and brutal. Rising above these turbulent waters is the City of Amaranthine once a modest fishing village, now an important and prosperous port city and a center for trade in northern Ferelden. Hardship and adversity, like the storm-tossed waves of the Waking Sea, have assailed Amaranthine time and time again, only to crash and break upon her walls. The people of Amaranthine survived first the Orlesian occupation, then the sacking of the city when the Orlesians departed. They know one thing for certain: the city will always stand as a testament to the strength and steadfastness of the Fereldan people.

The Pilgrim's Path is another important location in the Arling. It is the major road which connects Amaranthine with Denerim and rest of the southern Ferelden. Amaranthine was the ancestral home of the Howe family, but due to Rendon Howe's part in Teyrn Loghain's coup of Ferelden the Howe family was stripped of all claim to the Arling by Ferelden's new king, Alistair. Due to Jenra's actions in saving Ferelden from the Fifth Blight, he was rewarded Amaranthine to rebuild the Ferelden chapter of the Grey Wardens.

In the aftermath of the Fifth Blight, the darkspawn did not disappear…most of the horde scattered north from Denerim towards the coastlands where they fractured and turned on each other. With darkspawn and bandits terrorizing the countryside and a lack of leadership, the region fell into chaos. Jenra, the new Warden Commander of Ferelden travels with his seven warden recruits to deal with the threat and bring order back to the region. The group headed for Vigil's Keep, the seat of power in Amaranthine.

"Oy! What the hell? No welcoming party?" A gruff man with greying hair in brown said. "Don't they know the Hero of Ferelden is here with us?" Derack of South Reach, a great champion that fought off an army of bold bandits with only ten men. Known for being very loud and boisterous.

"Perhaps they were scared away by your voice, I'm pretty sure I saw several rats scurrying away" the blonde-haired man in light silver armor said. Taelon of Gwaren, he is a master of stealth and subterfuge. He was recommended by Ser Cauthrien as way to mend fences between Teyrna Anora and the wardens. Known for his smart mouth that rubbed people the wrong way. Derack narrowed his eyes and faced Taelon.

"Want to say that again, runt?" A large bald man with a large scar across his forehead in grey heavy armor got between them.

"Hey save your fighting for the darkspawn" Byron of the Storm Coast, a giant of man that have been known to hunt Giants that got too close to his lord's land. Despite his stature, he was a pious man who would rather solve conflicts peacefully but if it could not happen, he would destroy a person in an instant. A young woman in a dragon styled blood red armor came to Jenra's side.

"What's going on? Why are there no Wardens here to greet us?" Ser Mhairi of Dragon's Peak. She fought in the Battle of Ostagar and was one of the few survivors from that quagmire. The most wide-eyed of the recruits, she was enraptured by the tales of kings and nobles as a child which was why Loghain's betrayal of King Cailan and the King's death hit her hard. When she learned of Jenra and Alistair quelling the Blight almost single-handedly, she vowed to serve the Wardens. When she was called upon to join the Warden to help rebuild the order in the Arling of Amaranthine, Mhairi jumped at the chance to join.

The whispers in Jenra's head was loud…darkspawn was near and there were a lot of them. He took out his sword and the recruits got quiet and took out their weapons too. A soldier baring the seal of House Howe ran their way with darkspawn closely behind.

"Ciel" An elf in green and brown light armor came forward and fired his arrows at the head of the darkspawn allowing the soldier to get away in time. Ciel of Rainesfere was recommended by Bann Teagan, he was one of the few elves to rise to the ranks of an elite soldier. A man of few words, he would rather let his arrows do the talking for him. More darkspawn came and two women came forward, they nodded at each other and rushed the darkspawn and quickly took them out before they could even reach their party. Talia of Oswin and Natalie of Winter's Breath are old friends since childhood and skilled warriors that seem to read each other's minds. It was thanks to their friendship that Osvin and winter's Breath became allies after a decade long bitter rivalry. Jena came to the soldier and helped him up, when he looked at Jenra his eyes went wide and he bowed.

"You're the Hero of Ferelden, oh thank the Maker!" the man said. "We may now have a chance" The soldier explained that the darkspawn ambushed Vigil's Keep; before the fortress could mount a counterattack…they were overrun. Jenra frowned at that; this shouldn't have happened…there were experienced Wardens at the fortress that should have sensed them coming close. Not only that, darkspawn launching a sneak attack…that was unheard of, at least not without a Archdemon commanding them. "The screams…Maker the screams and the death; I got out as fast as I could to send help and ran into these…" he said. "Please help them; they won't last long against those monsters!"

Jenra nodded. "We will" he said. "Are there any Wardens alive?"

"There was someone right behind me, a mage. He might have been a Warden, I don't know" the soldier said. "I need to head into town, there has to be a patrol that can help" The soldier went on his way, Mhairi looked at Jenra.

"Commander, I don't understand…the Blight is over, how can they be so organized?"

"That I don't know perhaps there is something else leading them" Jenra said. The recruits looked unnerved. "A frightening thought, I know but have your wits about you"

Derack slammed his fists in anticipation. "Right with you Warden, let's send these bastards into the Void" The party headed into Vigil's Keep, the fortress was ravaged by fire and litter with bodies of the dead. The darkspawn wasted no time in turning the dead here into a twisted tribute to the Old Gods. "Bloody hell…Wardens can sense darkspawn coming, so how did this happen?"

"According to the seneschal, there are only a dozen Wardens here but there were plenty of soldiers also" Taelon said. "To ambush the keep so effectively, I didn't even know they capable of such a thing" All of the sudden a thud was heard and a scream, Jenra turned around…Talia watched in horror as her best friend Natalie laid dying in a pool of her own blood. A shriek was behind them, but something was very wrong…Jenra didn't even sense the darkspawn coming but that was least of his problem. Talia screamed and rushed the shriek with sword in hand, hungry to avenger her friend.

"Wait! We don't know what it can do!" The shriek dodged the move cleanly, like it anticipated it and in another move impaled Talia in chest. Jenra watched in horror as another one of his recruits fell, the warden quickly turned around blocked a blow with his sword. Another shriek…and again Jenra could not sense the darkspawn coming. He kicked the shriek backwards. "Everyone, back to back…don't let the shrieks get behind you"

The party circled around back to back, creating a defense for their flank. The shriek got up and attack with another one of them appearing next to it. They attacked with precision looking for weak spots in their defense…it felt like they were being attacked by soldiers being led by a military genius rather than mindless creatures. One of the shrieks jumped at Bryon, and the large man cleaved the darkspawn in two in mid-air. Ciel fired an arrow, and the shriek dodged only to be smashed in the face by Derack's shield allowing Taelon to stab the darkspawn in the heart. Jenra nicked his finger and allowed his blood to flow on to his dagger, the blood hardened on to the blade creating a small sword. The shriek lunged at Jenra with its blade out; the warden grabbed its wrist and then plunged his blood sword into its head, then beheaded the darkspawn. The fight was over…for now, Jenra walked towards the bodies of Talia and Natalie and closed their eyes. He only just got to know his recruits and already lost two of them…he Jenra would mourn their deaths later, right now they needed to drive the darkspawn out of the keep.

"Move out but stay aware" Jenra said. "My senses will not help us here" Jenra and the now five recruits headed deeper into the keep. A darkspawn fell at their feet in the hallway; they spotted a mage facing down several darkspawn. A shriek came from behind but was trapped in a binding ward and then imploded into a bloody puddle with a vacuum ward. A Hurlock charged at the mage and the mage burned it in a stream of magical fire. The mage shook his hand, and sighed in annoyance.

"And I just had bath too…damned darkspawn" The mage turned around and spotted Jenra and the recruits. Jenra saw the darkspawn fall on a pile of bodies that included several Templars. Before Jenra could say anything, the mage held up his hand and gave a nervous chuckle. "Er..this is not how it looks"

"Really? Because it looks like you are a mage surrounded by a couple of dead Templars" Taelon said dryly.

"I didn't kill them, though I'm not broken up about them dying to be perfectly honest" the mage said. "Biff there made the funniest gurgle when he went down"

"You killed these darkspawn yourself? That's impressive" Jenra said changing the subject.

"Yeah well, they softened them up before dying tragically" he said. "I'm Anders, by the way, mystic extraordinaire and wanted apostate…nice to meet you, er…"

"Jenra Cousland, Warden-Commander of this fortress"

"Commander, huh? From look of things you're not doing too good of a job of this" Jenra raised a brow, this mage had a smart mouth on him...he kind of reminded him of...well a lot his friend, without all the charm.

"An apostate? At the keep?" Anders smirked, came up and took Mhairi's hand and kissed it making the warrior blush.

"I lose my captors and I meet a lovely little flower…not too bad of day, if I say so myself" Jenra cleared his throat and gave the mage a stern look waiting for some kind of explanation. "Er…so we were just stopping here on our way back to the tower. Just a short rest, they said, and now they're dead. A shame but could be a sign, yes?"

Jenra crossed his arms. "That's a very convenient sign"

"Well, you know what they say…The Maker moves in mysterious ways" Anders said. "Hmm, judging from that frown you don't believe me…how about this? I help you and then we discuss what comes later…after all these bastards are put down, yes?"

"We're really not about to bring the Templar killer with us, are we?" Darack asked. "I'm on edge enough, as it is"

"Having magic on our side is always a good thing, trust me" Jenra said.

Anders smirked. "Glad we both agree, now let's salvage this sorry state of affairs, shall we?"

 _ **What does the darkspawn have in store for our heroes? Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	11. Chapter 11: Assault on Vigil's Keep pt2

**Chapter 11: The Assault on Vigil's Keep pt2**

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

Another group of darkspawn fell, as one of the survivors ran out of the fortress to safety. Jenra went to Ciel and Derack's bodies and closed their lifeless eyes, he sighed…two more recruits lost. Shortly after meeting Anders, they were ambushed by darkspawn archers…Ciel was struck in the clavicle before the party could get into cover, the elf died slowly choking on his own blood. Derack was struck down when Mhairi was surrounded by Hurlocks…when the darkspawn was about to go for the kill, Derack used his own body to shield her from their blows. Derack was more fortunate than poor Ciel, he was dead by the time the third sword struck his body. As much as they wanted to mourn, they still had to free the keep from this horde.

The party continued on into the training area where found an old dwarf on the other side of the room. Down below the gates were open and several darkspawn ran in looking for more victims. The old dwarf got their attention, and taunted them. "What does that old fool thinks he's doing?" Anders asked. Jenra had to agree, he was without weapons and armor…the darkspawn had a clear way to get to the dwarfs unless…

"Oh, we're scared now. Don't come over here. Ha!" The darkspawn fell for the ruse and ran into an explosive trap. The party was knocked back by the force of the blast as the sky lit up with flames. When they got up the training area was in flames and the darkspawn was charred black. The old dwarf laughed in glee to see his trap work. "Oh I love the smell of the burnt darkspawn in the morning…come again if you dare, you bastards!" The dwarf ran away, possibly to set up more traps.

"Well, well…I take back what I said about him" Anders said. "That little trick of his may come in handy one day"

"Are you mad? That dwarf could have destroyed the keep"

"Desperate times, Taelon" Jenra said. "Prepare yourselves, the blast didn't kill all of the darkspawn" Hurlocks ran towards them, Anders casts a debilitating hex to slow down the darkspawn. Byron cleaved one of them in half with his large axe and Taelon swiftly came in to cut them down with his daggers. When they fell, the party went into the keep where they heard sounds of fighting….inside another dwarf was fighting off genlocks and the Hurlock alpha that was leading them. He cut them down, laughing all the way…a laugh that Jenra recognized. "What is he doing here?"

Mhairi looked at Jenra and tilted her head. "Warden?" When the dwarf cut down the alpha, he turned and wave at Jenra. It was Oghren, his old traveling companion from the Blight days…but what was he doing here? Last he remembered, the dwarf headed back to Southern Bannorn to rekindle his old romance with Felsi, the tavern maid back at Lake Calenhad. Whatever question Jenra had would have to wait as the darkspawn kept coming. Anders rained down fire around the darkspawn while Jenra and Byron mowed down the genlocks in the way. Mhairi and Taelon assisted Oghren with the darkspawn surrounding him. When the fighting finished, Oghren came to the ledge with hardy laughter.

"Ha! That was some battle; I thought was going to die there!" Oghren said gleefully. "Glad to see the darkspawn still has some bite to them"

"He's insane…who is actually happy to fight darkspawn" Mhairi said taken aback. Oghren jumped down off the ledge, the smell of strong ale permeated from him which made the warrior gag. "It looks like someone helped themselves to the alcohol here"

"Well I needed something to do while waiting for this nug-legged bastard to show up" the dwarf said. He then playfully punched Jenra in the stomach. "Took you long enough, by the way"

"Oghren, what are you doing here?" Jenra asked.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm here to try my hand at becoming a bone fide Grey Warden"

"Huh, so he's still here…" Anders said. "Would've thought the Wardens would have kicked him out after all that ruckus he was making"

"Blondie, you're still here? Heh, I guess Templars aren't as tough as I thought" Oghren said. The dwarf then looked at Mhairi up and down as he gave lecherous smirk. "Nice rack, if all of the recruits are like you I think I will enjoy my stay"

"Ugh, such a vulgar man…how in the Maker's name do you know him, Commander?"

"He's an old friend of mine, who should be in South Bannorn" Jenra said. "Oghren, does Felsi knows you're here?" Oghren went silent, something must have happened between them…again. Jenra sighed, it was best not to get into that headache that would sure to comeback and bit him in the rear. "You do know that being a Warden comes with some risks, right?"

Oghren scoffed. "There are risk to getting up in the morning…I piss on risk"

Anders crossed his arms. "I'm sure risk appreciates it"

"I'm sure the Wardens will welcome such a…prize" Taelon said dryly.

"Yes, yes I know, too good to be true we can talk later" the dwarf said. "Right now, there's more darkspawn around in sore need of a beheading!" The party continued on their way; fight off more darkspawn and saving some survivors. In the hallways past the kitchen, a man was sitting against the wall. He was in heavy blood red armor, like Mhairi…he was alive but bleeding quite heavily. Mhairi gasped and ran towards him, the man groaned as he opened his eyes.

"Mhairi?"

"Rowland!" she said. "Commander, Rowland was knight recruited to help you like I was; we must do something for him!" Mhairi looked at Anders but the mage held his hand up.

"Don't look at me; those wounds are beyond my magic to help…maybe a shot of whiskey for the pain?"

Oghren burped. "Yeah, about that…" Rowland groaned and looked at Jenra.

"The…the Commander?" Jenra walked forward and kneeled down. "Heh…I was looking to meeting you, I regret that you have to see me in such a sorry state"

"I should be the one apologizing….I should've come sooner"

"We had little warning before they were on us, Commander" Rowland said. "The seneschal ordered a counter-attack, but they came out of nowhere! There's one with them, a darkspawn who talks; his magic is powerful" The party was taken aback by this; in all of recorded history about the darkspawn…there have never been one that could talk. Only the Archdemon could talk, but even then it could only talk using its dark songs.

"A talking darkspawn? The lad's wounds are making him delirious" Oghren said.

"I don't know, we've seen many strange things on our journey a talking darkspawn would not be out of the ordinary…but this is troubling…" All of the sudden, Rowland gasped in pain. "What's happening?"

"There's something in my blood! It hurts!"

"Wha…what's happening to him, Commander?"

Jenra sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Mhairi but Rowland has the Taint…he is done for" Rowland looked at Jenra, trying to keep a strong face but the Warden could tell…he was afraid of dying in such agony.

"It was an honor to meet you, Commander. I wish I could have fought at your side just once…" With one final gasp, the Taint took him…Jenra closed his lifeless eyes. Mhairi stood there to give her fallen friend a prayer of safe travels with the Maker. She then stood up with a determined look on her face.

"I will avenge you, Rowland…I swear it" The party fought through the hordes of darkspawn in their way, the way the hurlocks were positioned they were not trying to kill them but keep them busy. Stall tactics…a very advance strategy for such mindless creatures, Rowland's story of talking darkspawn was not such a story after all. But the question was…what is it after? The party made it to the top of Vigil's Keep, around the corner was a lone soldier backing away from a Hurlock or at least they thought it was a Hurlock. It was less monstrous than the others, it walked with the intelligence of man but the killing intent was unmistakable. The soldier backed away and saw that had no more floors to back away, he looked at the darkspawn with fear in his eyes.

"Just as he foretold, it has ended" The darkspawn kicks the soldier down, and the poor soul is impaled on the barricades below. He turns back to his fellow darkspawn who has the captain on his knees at sword point. "Be taking this one, gently…we are wishing no more death than is necessary"

"Necessary? As if your kind has ever done anything else!" The captain said defiantly.

"You think you know our kind so well, human? Understandable, but that will change soon"

"Others will hear of this, monster! And when they do, they will stop you no matter the cost!" Footsteps approached, the party arrived…the talking darkspawn faced them in an unnervingly calm manner.

"It seems your words be true"

Anders eyes went wide. "It is talking!"

Oghren took out his axe. "It's creepy, let's shut up already!"

"Commander!" The captain struggled but his captor held him still with the sword firmly held at his neck. The darkspawn looked at its leader waiting for an order.

"The Grey Warden is what we want, the others are nothing" The darkspawn nodded and slammed the hilt of its sword to back of the captain's head. The talking darkspawn and its cabal attacked the party. The talking darkspawn chanted in dark whispers as fleshy tendril wrapped around its body and hardened, it then charged Jenra at full speed. Byron pushed the warden out of the way and took the full brunt of the charge. They crashed against the wall and Bryon fell to his knees coughing up blood. "Loyal to the end, I admire that…a pity you must die" It grasped Byron's head and lifted him clear off his feet. Byron struggled to get away from the darkspawn's grasp but its strength dwarfed his own. The darkspawn then slammed the warrior against the wall repeatedly against the wall until his head cracked like an egg. The darkspawn then threw Bryon's body away like trash and locked its gaze upon Jenra.

Jenra gave a hateful gaze back at the darkspawn and glows a brilliant reddish-purple aura. Anders took notice at Jenra's powers. "What's this, magic?"

"Nope, this is Jenra pissed off…best stay clear lad" Oghren said slicing down the genlock. Jenra charged the talking darkspawn and their swords clashed. The talking darkspawn wasn't just intelligent, it was fact and strong with powers the warden has never seen before. The darkspawn backswings, Jenra blocks and is slammed into the wall…cratering it, it raises its sword and slashes at Jenra. The warden rolls out the way and swing Night-fang at the darkspawn's mid-section the tendrils moves to the darkspawn's side and hardens. The darkspawn grabs Jenra by the neck and drags him along the wall until tossing him like a ragdoll. Before Jenra could get off the floor, the darkspawn was all over him with wild swings that the young lord could barely block.

Jenra ducked on the floor and swept the darkspawn to the ground with his legs. Night-fang erupted in flames as the runes on the blade glowed; Jenra slammed his blade down to the ground hoping to finish the fight quickly. The darkspawn blocked the blade with its own, a twisted grin appeared on its face…the darkspawn was enjoying this battle; it was enjoying it a lot. The darkspawn kicked Jenra's sword upwards and rolled backwards on its feet to lunge forward with its sword pointed at Jenra's stomach. Jenra quickly glowed and discharged spiritual energy to blow them both back…while Jenra was getting up, he heard a hellish laugh.

"Such fight in you, Warden…you will be a fine prize"

 _ **Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	12. Chapter 12: Wardens of Amaranthine

**Chapter 12: Wardens of Amaranthine**

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Aftermath**_

Two days after the attack peace had returned to Vigil's Keep, but there was a sense of unease in the people as they tried to repair the damage caused by the fighting. The dead was given their rites as they burned on funeral pyres as to not be used a puppets for demons. The mages of Kinloch Hold and the Jainen Circle were called on to cleanse the fort of demons as well as seal the Veil that was torn from the fighting and the death. Jenra sitting outside the healers' room, there were bags under his eyes as he hasn't slept…he couldn't sleep not when there was so much that needed be done. As he yawned, one of the healers came to him. "Commander"

Jenra stood at attention. "How is Taelon?"

The healer shook his head. "I'm sorry…we did the best we could but we couldn't save him" he said. "The injuries was too extensive, made worse by the fact Ser Taelon was starting to show signs of the Taint"

Jenra sighed, another recruit lost. "Give him his rites and place him on the funeral pyre" he said. "I'll…send a letter of condolences to Ser Cathrien and Taelon's family later" The healer nodded and walked away leaving Jenra alone with his thoughts…some commander he turned out to be…

* * *

 _ **Two days ago**_

 _The battle with the talking darkspawn raged as Jenra matched it blow for blow with neither side giving an inch. Taelon was on the ground bleeding heavily from being sliced down the back by a flanking shriek, Mhairi and Anders tried to keep the man stabilized with potions and magic while Oghren killed the last of the darkspawn. Jenra blocked the darkspawn's blow to have a straight shot at the creature…he wanted to end this here and now. Tendrils formed to create armor but the fire from Jenra's rune burned it away as the sword went clean through the darkspawn's body as it reeled Jenra quickly stepped in and beheaded the darkspawn. Once the fight ended, Taelon was carried away to a healer and Jenra helped the captain up…he had a few cuts and bruises but no worse for wear, he was lucky most people captured by darkspawn were not so fortunate._

" _Commander, I owe you my life" he said cracking his neck. "Captain Elias, it's an honor to meet the Hero of Ferelden"_

" _Strange, I thought you and your men would hold me in contempt considering…."_

" _Contrary to what you might think, Howe didn't have many supporters in Amaranthine but since he was lord of this land we didn't have much of a choice" he said. "I'm hoping you will change some things around here"_

" _I will do my best to serve the needs of the people here…you have my word"_

 _Elias nodded. "I'm sure the Seneschal will love to hear that" Something caught Elias' eye and he went towards the edge to see multiple torches and a banner flying above. "Hmm…soldiers on the road, we've have more company"_

" _What banner are they marching under?" Jenra asked._

" _Too far to see…I'll get Varel to join you" he said. "Hopefully these people are more hospitable than the darkspawn was, hmm?" Down at the gates was Alistair and a moderate number of Templars with him, he was heading to West Hill for a diplomatic dinner with the lord their but took a detour when had heard about the attack on Vigil's Keep. The Templars with him were reinforcements for another group of Templars that were searching for an apostate mage that was in the area. Jenra and the Seneschal came forward and kneeled before Alistair._

" _Your Majesty"_

" _It looks like I arrived a bit late…too bad, I was hoping to miss that boring dinner" Alistair said. He ordered them to rise and then shook Jenra's hand. "I came as soon as I could, what's the situation?"_

" _The darkspawn have fled and casualties are heavy" Varel said. "The Wardens from Orlais that were stationed here are either dead or…missing"_

 _Alistair frowned. "Missing? What do you mean missing?"_

" _They were after Grey Wardens, for what I do not know" Jenra said. "Even more disturbing…the darkspawn…it talked, they're organized even though an Archdemon isn't leading them"_

" _Well…damn, that is…bad" Alistair said unnerved. He then composed himself. "Well, at least the Hero of Ferelden is well. That's something, right?"_

 _Jenra sighed. "I wished I could be reassured by that…a lot of my recruits were killed, this makes things difficult going forward"_

" _I wish I could help you more but I have a lot on my plate myself"_

" _Hey! What am I? Chopped nug livers?" Oghren, Anders and Mhairi came towards them, when Mhari sees Alistair she kneels in front of him. Alistair tells her to rise and looks confused at Oghren's presence…he looks at Jenra but the young lord just shrugs, it was a very long story._

" _From the smell, not a bad guess" Anders said dryly._

" _I came here to join the Grey Wardens, and from the looks of it you could use the extra hands!" the dwarf said. "Where's the giant cup? I'll gargle and spit!"_

 _Jenra rubbed his forehead. "You're not allowed to spit"_

 _Oghren smashes his fist together. "Heh, that's what I always say"_

 _Mhairi sighed. "I suppose at this dire time….beggars can't be choosers" she said. "If one wishes to join the cause, all are welcomed"_

 _Anders crossed his arms. "Joining the Warden, huh? Yeah, good luck with that…" One of the Templars eyes went wide and stepped forward with her sword drawn. The mage sighed, he knew what was coming. "And here it comes…"_

" _King Alistair! Your Majesty, beware! This man is a dangerous criminal!"_

 _Alistair raised a brow. "Oh, the dwarf can be an arse but he's not that bad"_

 _Anders raised his hand. "Yeah, hi she means the charming apostate over here, unfortunately"_

" _Humph, at least you admit you are criminal despite your glibness" she said. "You will return to the Circle to face justice!"_

 _Anders rolled his eyes. "Spare me, the things you people know about justice would fit into a thimble" he said. "I'll just escape again, anyhow"_

" _Never! I will see you hanged for what you've done here, murderer!"_

" _My, aren't we quick to conclusions…I'd explain what really happened here, but I doubt you'd hear me with you head so far up your arse" The Templar glared at the mage, and Anders looked unfazed…Jenra had to admit, the mage was bold but he really wasn't helping his case. The young lord decided to step in, there was enough blood spilled today._

" _M'lady Templar, Anders was not responsible for the tragedy here…in fact he helped us fight back against the darkspawn here" Jenra said. "We are currently lacking in magic right now, I would like for Anders stay and assist us"_

" _What?" The Templar said outraged. "Never! I will not allow this!"_

" _Unfortunately m'lady you have no say here…I hereby conscript this mage into the Grey Wardens" The Templar sputtered and stammered as she looked at Alistair to put a stop at this._

 _Alistair just shrugged. "Don't look at me, it's out of my hands" The Templar walked away seething with anger, Anders stood there in disbelief this was the first time anyone stood up for him. Oghren came up and gave a friendly pat on the back that almost knocked the mage off his feet._

" _Ha! Way to go, kid! Welcome aboard!"_

" _A Grey Warden, huh? Well better than the Circle, I suppose"_

" _Congratulations, ser mage. I look forward to fighting at your side" Mhairi said._

 _Alistair nodded. "Well it looks like you have everything under control…I shall take my leave" he said. "Until next time, Jenra" Alistair walked away and the party went back to repair the keep._

* * *

 _ **Now**_

Footsteps interrupted Jenra's thoughts, Varel walked down the hall looking for him. Varel was well known in Amaranthine as he has spent his life defending her. According to Elias, he was one of the ones unhappy with Rendon Howe as the two did not see eye to eye and Varel was demoted for repeatedly objecting to the arl's orders. When Howe's acts became more sinister, Varel secretly sheltered those in need and did his best to counteract the arl's atrocities action if found out would sentence him to death. When the Grey Wardens took over Amaranthine, they reinstated Varel as seneschal. He is privy to many secrets of the order, despite not being a Grey Warden himself.

He saw Taelon's body being carried out to the funeral pyre. "Another good man lost to the darkspawn" Varel said. "Lady Mhairi told me of what happened, steel yourself Commander…a warden's life is of death, all you can do is move forward"

"I know, but it's still difficult…preparations for the Joining are done?" Varel nodded and Jenra sighed. "Maker, help them…"

"Maker help us all" They made their way to the throne room where Anders, Mhairi, and Oghren stood waiting…not knowing that their lives would change forever. "It is time for us to begin the Joining…but first I shall speak the words of your predecessors, words that date back to the First Blight centuries ago"

"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand, vigilant" he said. "Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn"

"And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and that one day we shall join you" He went to the table and picked up the chalice containing a mixture of darkspawn blood and often a single drop of blood from an Archdemon, as well as lyrium and rare herbs magically prepared to make the blood at least remotely possible to consume. Once the recruits drink from that chalice, it was then up to the will of the Maker if they become Wardens or died from the spot. A cold chill ran through Jenra, just like the day he went through his Joining. "From this moment forth, Oghren, you are a Grey Warden" Oghren took the chalice and gave a confused frown. "Is something the matter?"

"What's this? The sampler size? Are you trying to say something about my height, eh?" Varel looked at Jenra, the young lord just shrugged.

"Er…this is the goblet we've always used"

"Really? Huh…well bottom's up!" The dwarf gulped it down, his eyes rolled back in his head and then…he belched. "Heh, not bad…bit on the weak side though" Varel stood there shocked at first and waved his hand as the stench of ale and darkspawn blood reached his nose. Oghren was now a Warden…for better or worse.

Varel sighed. "Maker help us all" The ritual continued as he approached Anders. "From this moment forward, Anders, you are a Grey Warden"

"Drinking darkspawn blood…I can't believe the Circle was the better choice in hindsight" Anders said grimly. "Well, if I wake up two weeks from now on a ship to Rivain naked and with a tattoo on my head…I'll know who to blame" The mage gulped it down, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he dropped to the ground. Varel check his pulse and sighs in relief.

"He lives, Commander and will awaken in time"

Oghren snorted. "Lightweight" The ritual continued and Varel approached Mhairi…she was nervous but at the same time excited. She wasn't just going fight alongside heroes; she was going to be one of them.

"From this moment forth, Mhairi, you are a Grey Warden" She took the last sip, something was wrong it burned like fire. Mhairi grabbed her neck coughing and choking…Jenra looked away, he knew what was coming. She fell to the ground writhing in pain and then suddenly stopped. Varel gave a heavy sigh as he closed her lifeless eyes.

"I am sorry, Mhairi…may the Maker watch over you now" Oghren walked away, Anders was carried away to recover and poor Mhairi was sent to the funeral pyre to be given her rites. Jenra would write to the lord of Dragon's Peak and Mhairi's family a letter of condolences…it was his duty as Commander. "Commander"

Jenra gave a heavy sigh. "I am fine…let's get to the business at hand…"

 _ **The heavy burden of a Warden…Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	13. Chapter 13: The Wayward Son

**Chapter 13: The Wayward Son**

 _The Howes of Amaranthine are one of the oldest noble families in Ferelden. Their lineage traces to the time of Calenhad, when Elias Howe was one of the first freeholders to follow Calenhad._

 _During the occupation, Arl Tarleton Howe, Rendon Howe's father, threw his lot in with the Orlesians. After several bitter battles with rebels, the town of Harper's Ford-an outpost governed by Tarleton Howe-fell to the Couslands of Highever. Tarleton hanged._

 _Rendon brought the Howe family over to the side of Maric Theirin and Loghain Mac Tir's rebellion. Rendon's bravery at the battle of White River, fighting alongside Bryce Cousland, earned back his family's honour. When King Maric took the throne in free Ferelden, Rendon Howe was decorated for his service.-From Annals of Northern Ferelden, by Brother Bedine, Chantry scholar_

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Infirmary**_

A sky of red flashed in his mind, as Anders saw the world burn from the onslaught of the darkspawn. Throughout the carnage, the mage could hear whispers…whispers that he could vaguely understand. As he tried to understand the whispers, his mind flared as if his mind was trying to turn him away from things a simple mortal should not know. The next thing Anders saw was darkness encroaching upon him…trying to swallow him, the mage ran and ran but he could not escape the darkness. He was surrounded by all sides and then swallowed; there was nothing but pitch black as far as the eye could see.

Anders shot up, drenched in a cold sweat. He looked around and saw he was in a bed with healers looking at him in shock. The mage's head was throbbing with pain, like a giant's club had beaten him senseless. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Blondie…" To his right was Oghren leaning near a wall drinking ale, much to the annoyance to the healers.

"What are you doing here?"

"Jenra had shit to take care of, so he asked yours truly look after you" the dwarf said. Oghren then burped.

"Wonderful…" Anders said getting out of bed. "Where's Mhairi?"

Oghren face went grim. "The lass died…she took the cup like the both of us and it killed her" he said. "You and me are the only ones to become full-fledged Grey Wardens" Anders couldn't believe what he was hearing, Mhairi was just with them moments ago…she was so excited about joining their ranks, she bragged about reading all the legends and wanted to be like her heroes. To be killed by her heroes' initiation was the cruelest of ironies and for the Wardens to even have such a ritual; it rubbed Anders the wrong way. It was too much like the Harrowing back at the Circle.

"Why didn't Jenra do anything?!" the mage asked outraged.

"Nothing he could do, Blondie…the Joining effects people differently, some become Wardens and others just die" Oghren said. "By the way, Jenra wanted me to give you this" The dwarf gave Anders an amulet called The Oath. All Grey Wardens receive these amulets after their joining. Containing just a trace of the darkspawn blood consumed in the initiate's ritual, these amulets serve as a constant reminder of the Warden's eternal vigil against the darkspawn hordes. This was his life now, a life dedicated to hunting darkspawn until his death…Anders felt like he had just traded one prison for another.

* * *

 _ **Throne Room**_

"Open the doors!" Jenra sat in the chair once occupied by Rendon Howe, the young lord had to admit he found it strange that he now going be sleeping in the home of the man that murdered his family. It was going to take some getting used to for sure. The large doors opened and Jenra could hear two people arguing. Captain Elias came in with an older woman dressed in noble clothing.

"We cannot wait on this Woolsey, that Deep Road entrance could be their base of operation" he said. "The Commander needs to know about this"

"A wild rumor brought about from the commoners' fear, Captain nothing more" she said. "The Keep needs you and your men here to shore up our defenses from the last attack"

"We had dozens of Wardens here and we were still caught with our pants down, no we need to take the fight to them" Elias said. "Besides we've had multiple accounts of darkspawn around that area, I'd say that is more than a rumor"

"Fine, let's say it is true...unless the Pilgrim's Path is cleared by the time your army assembles they'll have nothing to eat but shoe leather"

"Is it always like this, Varel?" Jenra whispered.

Varel shook his head. "No, but the darkspawn's attack has rattled everyone and people are unsure about what to do next" He then cleared his throat to get the bickering duo's attention. "Elias, Woolsey. The Commander has had a long day"

Woolsey nodded and bowed towards Jenra. "Forgive me, Commander Mistress Woolsey at your service" Mistress Woolsey was sent by the First Warden of Weisshaupt to help the Warden-Commander administrate the Arling of Amaranthine. She is in charge of the treasury of the arling. While the First Warden wasn't interested in Amaranthine at first, the prospect of have a Warden rule over a domain created an interesting precedent and opportunity for the order especially now with no Blight to deal with. "I have reports of merchants that have escaped the darkspawn; they wish to do business with the Keep at a reasonable fee"

Jenra nodded. "Sounds good, Varel said we were short on supplies" he said. "Elias, you said something about a Deep Road entrance?"

"Aye Commander, a most promising lead from the wild tales of a couple of hunters told" he said. "These hunters claim to have stumbled across an entrance to the Deep Roads…it was crawling with darkspawn and this was before the fiends appeared across the arling"

"Think this is connected with the attack?" Jenra asked.

"I believe so and even if it's not, I'll feel better about have the Keep and the city clear of those monsters" Elias said. "Check the hunting guild in Amaranthine, Colbert and his friend are likely there"

"Will do, is there any other business I should be concerned with?"

"Orlais sent a dozen Wardens to the Vigil to await your arrival" Varel said. "Nearly all of them died in the attack, except one…a man named Kristoff" According to Varel, the Orlesian Wardens were uneasy about the darkspawn not going back underground when the Blight ended. Kristoff was chosen to investigate due to his skills as a former headhunter and his familiarity with the seed underbelly of Amaranthine.

Jenra crossed his arms. "Strange they would send a dozen to fight an army"

"Well, it did only take three Wardens to end a civil war and kill an Archdemon…I suppose a dozen would be extravagant"

Jenra was taken aback; he didn't expect such sharp wit from the supposedly stern and stoic Seneschal. "Hmm, Touché"

"In all seriousness, Orlais' Warden-Commander wanted to send more but there was politics to consider" Varel said. "The Empress Celine was quite displeased when Loghain turned away her Wardens during the Blight"

"Where is this Kristoff?" Jenra asked.

"As best we can figure, Amaranthine, but that was a fortnight ago and Amaranthine is not small"

"It's small but it will have to do" the young lord said. "I will go at once" Jenra headed out the door to find Oghren and Anders to find this Kristoff.

* * *

 _ **Courtyard**_

Jenra headed towards the mess hall, which was where the soldiers spotted Oghren and Anders. No doubt Oghren and Anders, now fresh off of their joining was dealing with new sensations and new abilities that they didn't have before. One of the first things a new Warden dealt with was a more intense hunger…wardens require more food than normal people whether it was to slow the progress of the taint within them or because their abilities took so much energy not even the wardens know. Anders no doubt had the dreams from his new found connection to the darkspawn and would have questions about them, the mage was lucky the Blight was over as the dreams are worse. Those topics however were the easy stuff to talk about; Jenra was not looking forward to explaining the more…difficult aspects of being the Warden but that would wait as they get used to their new lives.

As Jenra continued on, he could have sworn that he was being watched at first he blamed it on nerves…after all everyone was still on edge from the darkspawn attack. But later on the feeling came back stronger than before. An arrow flew past his head and landed near his feet, Jenra stood at attention. Another arrow and Jenra slashed it in half. "Come on out, whoever you are!" One of the Keep's soldiers came running from Jenra's yell.

"Something the matter, Commander?"

"I was attacked" Jenra said showing the arrow. "Contact Captain Elias, seal all of the entrances and make sure every soldier is accounted for" The soldier saluted and ran away; at the corner of his eye he could see a figure making a run for it. "Stop!" Jenra ran after the figure, he scaled the at wall to reach the upper ledge. From what the Commander could make out, his would be assailant was a man, young guessing from how spry he was. He was not wearing armor but plain brown clothes, possibly to attract any attention. His weapon was a short bow, good for mobility and easy to put away and hide. The figure did a quick turn and took a shot at Jenra; he was incredibly skilled with it. Jenra blocked it with Night-fang and was blown off his feet, an explosive arrow this man was full of surprises.

By the time he got up the figure turned the corner, Jenra ran after him again. Two soldiers guarding the west wing saw the chase and went to assist Jenra by blocking the intruder's way. They took their swords out and rushed the man; the intruder twirled his bow in his hand and blocked the first swing of the sword. He then kicked the first soldier in the crotch, and then kicked him to the floor. The second one attacked and cut the bow in half, with no weapon in hand, the intruder could only hold back the swings. He dropped to the floor and kicked the soldier over him and the ledge. "No!" Jenra and the intruder looked over the edge, luckily the soldier landed in a hay pile…knocked out from the shock of falling from that far up. Strange that someone looking to kill the Warden-Commander would be concerned about one of his soldiers dying from his actions. The intruder took a running start and jumped off the edge into the second pile and ran towards the gates, he was going to escape and there was nothing Jenra could do as there was no other hay pile for a safe landing. As the intruder believed he was going to escape scot-free, he ran into a giant wall. The intruder shook his head and looked confused at the giant wall. "Ice…in summer?"

"Hey, pike-twirler!" The intruder looks back and is all of the sudden knocked back hard into the ice wall by a dwarf with bright red hair. He slumps to the floor knocked out... "Assassins, they just don't make 'em like they used to" Jenra came down from up to join Oghren and Anders.

"Oghren, Anders…thank you, you came at the nick of time" Jenra walked towards the out cold intruder. "No let's see who you are" He took the hood off and then Jenra's eyes went wide as he took a step back. "R-Rendon?" Behind him, Captain Elias and his men came to take the intruder away.

"Hey lad, you doing alright?" Oghren asked. "You looked like you've just seen a ghost"

Jenra shook his head. "Y-yes, I…I'm fine" he said. "Uh, make your preparations…we go soon after we find out who our guest is" Jenra walked away and followed Elias to the dungeon.

 _ **Next Time! As Always Review and Comment!**_


	14. Chapter 14: The Couslands and The Howes

**Chapter 14: The Couslands and the Howes**

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Dungeons**_

The Cousland family and the Howe family are one of the oldest families in Ferelden…whose destinies have been intertwined with each other for centuries. Highever, the ancestral home of the Couslands was originally a bannorn held by the Elstan family, who were a secondary branch of the then-freeholder family of Howes. The Couslands declared their independence from Amaranthine, starting a war that lasted thirty years. When the war ended, Highever won its independence and possession of half the land that had once been southwestern Amaranthine. During the Black Age, Ferelden was besieged by a lycanthrope plague, Mather Cousland gathered the lords under his family's banner to drive the werewolves out of their land…earning his family the title of Teyrn giving the Couslands wealth and power second only to the royal family.

However as the fortunes of the Couslands grew…the same could not be said about the Howes. In the second half of the Blessed Age, Arl Tarleton Howe, who was almost ninety years old, sharp and bitter from his family's loss of prominence over the years, sided with Orlais during the occupation of Ferelden; however the Cousland family ruling the neighboring Highever openly supported the rebellion. The Coulands and the Howes would fight each other in several bitter battles over the years, but alas the Couslands would show their superiority by capturing the town of Harper's Ford and Tarleton Howe himself.

The old arl was hung for his treason but the Howe family continued their support of the Orlesian occupation. That was…until Rendon Howe, son and nephew of two disgraced arls sided with the rebels and Prince Maric along with his family's hated enemy, the Couslands. Once the war for independence was won Rendon was decorated for his service by King Maric, and was made Arl of Amaranthine. The Howes were hailed as heroes, and Arl Howe became close friends with Bryce Cousland but alas this was not to be. The blood of traitors runs deep within the Howe family as Rendon Howe would share the fate of his father and uncle before him. Once again Amaranthine was lost to the Howes, now under the command their most bitter enemy…a Cousland.

Inside the cell, the captured intruder sat on the floor in silence glaring at Jenra as he and Captain Elias talked. His hand twitched with eagerness to strike the young lord down but he could do nothing but stew in his anger. "Hmm, quite the evil eye our guest is giving you Commander" Elias said. "Any idea why he would try to target you so brazenly?" Jenra had an idea, the intruder just looked too much like the late Howe but he needed to talk to him to confirm it.

"I have a lot of people that wants me dead; I can't keep track of them all"

"Hmm, fair enough…I've tried to get a name out of him but his mouth is as tightly shut as Drakon" he said. "What I do know is, our friend here is no ordinary intruder…when he woke up there was a bit of a struggle, took six of my men to hold him down"

"I want to talk to him…alone" Jenra said.

"You sure that's wise? He did tried to kill you after all"

"Not much he can in those bars, besides if he tries anything I'll be ready for him"

Elias shrugged. "Very well, you're the Commander but in case you need it my men are on stand-by outside "he said. "I'll let the seneschal know of this, perhaps he'll want to know what you decide to do with this man" Jenra nodded and Elias walked away leaving the Warden with the intruder. Jenra faced the intruder, his prisoner glared at him with such intense hatred…the warden remembers this well, it was the same look he gave Rendon Howe months before. The intruder narrowed his eyes as he got off the floor.

"The great hero, conqueror of the Blight and vanquisher of all evil graces me with his presence…how wonderful" the intruder sneers. "I would have thought with all those titles you would be ten feet tall and shooting lightning bolts out of your eyes"

Jenra crossed his arms. "Well glad to see being thrown into a dungeon cell hasn't dampened your sense of humor" he said. "Though how you think now is the time to joke beyond me…"

"I just thought my father's murderer would be…more impressive" the intruder said. "I am Nathaniel Howe…my family owned these lands until you showed up. Do you even remember my father?"

Jenra frowned. "Of course…how could I ever forget the man that murdered my family?" he asked. "And betrayed his nation?" Nathaniel slammed the bars with a growl.

"How dare you?! My father served the Hero of River Dane and fought against the Orlesians!" he said angrily. "Your family is the traitor; they were going to sell us out to them!"

Jenra scoffed. "Rendon always was a good liar, wasn't he? After all he had my father believe he was a good friend of his up until he stabbed him in his own home" Nathaniel took a step back a little with his eyes wide. "He tortured and then killed my mother, he killed my sister in law and slit the throat of my nephew who was only a wee child…but that's just crimes against me, should I list off the crimes he committed against Ferelden? I have all day"

"No…no, that's…that's not right a Grey Warden came into his estate and slaughtered him be I could even talk to him" he said shaking his head. "I came here…I thought I was going to kill you when you were alone, then in the confusion I would reclaim some of my family's things…it's all I have left"

" _Uhmm that is an interesting sword you have…"_

" _This is Night-fang; it's been in my family for generations…" Jenra said. "This sword, I, and Fenrir are all that's left of my family"_

" _I am sorry about the Couslands" Leliana said sadly. "I heard they were good people"_ That's right…not so long ago Jenra was in the exact same place when Rendon took everything away from him. And now the cycle of hatred between the Couslands and the Howes was repeating and it would keep unless someone put a stop to it. Jenra decided to be the one to stop the cycle.

"Just how much did you know about your father?" Jenra asked.

"If you're asking me if I knew what he was up to…no I don't, I was squired in the Free Marches" Nathaniel said. "What happened with the Couslands…it was horrible, like the war was"

"Whatever my father did, however, shouldn't harm my whole family…the Howes are once again pariahs…those of us left" Nathaniel chuckled bitterly. "The Maker has an ironic sense of humor, doesn't he? My father tried to destroy your family and now you get to destroy my family and erase it…I suppose it is fitting…"

"I hate your father but my quarrel was with him…not your family" Jenra said. "Look I can't do anything about your lands and titles, but I don't think you are a bad person…perhaps you could work to redeem your family name"

Nathaniel was taken aback. "You would forgive me, even after I tried to kill you?"

Jenra shrugged. "Some of the friends I made have tried to kill me once…at this point I am used to it"

"Strange one you are…but you are right, I'll join King Alistair's service. I'm certain he would give a Howe another chance"

Jenra nodded. "Then I will let Varel know of my decision" He unlocked Nathaniel's cage and they went upstairs to meet with the seneschal.

* * *

 _ **Throne Room**_

Varel was waiting in the throne room along with Anders and Oghren, now done with their preparation. "Commander, Elias has spoken to me about our guest, have you decided what's to be done with him?" He walked up towards them and looked at Nathaniel. "So our intruder was the elder Howe…figures one would show up again" He said. "The Howes are implacable enemies, Commander"

Nathaniel frowned. "You never seemed to have any trouble, when you were serving us Varel"

"That was before your father went mad and betrayed Ferelden" Varel said. "Perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised, after all treachery does seem to run in the blood of your family"

"Bastard!"

"Enough!" Jenra said. "Nathaniel and I came to an understanding, I will release him"

"Is that wise, Commander? He did try to kill you" he said. "What is to stop him from coming back and finishing the job?"

"I will be traveling to Denerim to give my service to King Alistair…I want to redeem my family name"

"And do you find him believable, Commander?" Varel asked.

"I don't know if I believe him, but I'm willing to give him a chance" Jenra said. "And I'm sure Alistair would feel the same"

Varel sighed. "Very well, then by the Commander's orders I shall release you" he said. "But know that I will be increasing security of the Keep just in case" Afterwards Nathaniel was allowed to reclaim some of his family's things and he left the keep for Denerim. "I truly hope you know what you are doing, Commander..."

"I know what I'm doing Varel, this feud between our families have gone on long enough and will play into it no longer" Jenra said. "Besides…we have more important things to do than retreading the past"

* * *

 _ **The Pilgrim's Path-The Wending Wood**_

The Pilgrim's Path is a road in Ferelden which connects Denerim with the City of Amaranthine. The importance of this road is vital as it connects the Arling of Amaranthine with the rest of country and keeps the Arling supplied.

However, as its name already suggests, this path also attracts many pilgrims who want to visit two of the most important locations according to the Chantry religion. Denerim, the birthplace of Andraste and the City of Amaranthine, where the Chant of Light was first revealed. Before the party left Mistress Woolsey informed them of more caravans being attacked…at first she thought it was darkspawn but the attacks became too frequent even with the increase of darkspawn on the lands. Without the only reliable supply route both the Keep and Amaranthine would be imperial in the future.

After speaking with a representative of the Merchant's Guild, their path led them to the Wending Woods. The wood was once a home to an Avvar tribe of the Alamarri, and the location of one of the battles between the magisters and the barbarians in the ancient times. The wood was a sacred place of an Avvar god known as Uvolla. For centuries, the wood had been known as a place of breathtaking beauty and tranquility. As the party entered the woods, a man in grey light armor ran towards them with fear in his eyes.

"Out of me way! I need to get out of here!"

"Calm down, man...we're here to help" Jenra said.

"No, you don't understand! She's after me!"

"Who's after you?"

The man paled as he turned to point towards the forest. "The elf! She makes the trees come alive! They hunt you and tear you apart!" he said holding his head. "All we wanted was some easy money from the caravans, but…"

"Ah…I see, a highwayman well can't say I feel sorry for him" Anders said. The highwayman turned his head side to side as his eyes grew wide and he slowly walked backwards.

"Maker help me! She's here! Got to get away!" Before Jenra could ask any more questions, the man ran away. Anders came to attention.

"Uh, guys I'm feeling some strong magic heading our way so perhaps we should…" The party got out their weapons as up on the hill roots and vines gathered and opened to reveal an elven woman dressed in a light green cloak with fur. She looks down and glares at them.

"More scavengers to prey on the weak? No, you are too well armed…so for me then" the elven woman said. "You will not drive me from these forests, the shems could not do it, the darkspawn could not and you will not fare any better!" A cage of roots and thorns surrounded the party.

 _ **Beware of the rage of nature! Next Time! Review and Comment!**_


	15. Chapter 15: The Righteous Path pt1

**Chapter 15: The Righteous Path pt1**

 _The caravans can't get through the woods and the village is running low on supplies. It's that Dalish clan causing trouble again, I know it. I had my man speak to their "keeper" several months back and she (I think it was a she, you can't tell with these elves) said they'd leave for more remote parts. It looks as though they're back, likely their stupid landships blocking the roads. They're a stubborn race and more than a little dense!_

 _I must trouble you for a favour. Go to the Wending Wood and order them to leave.-Mayor Grisby_

 _ **The Wending Wood**_

The man paled as he turned to point towards the forest. "The elf! She makes the trees come alive! They hunt you and tear you apart!" he said holding his head. "All we wanted was some easy money from the caravans, but…"

"Ah…I see, a highwayman well can't say I feel sorry for him" Anders said. The highwayman turned his head side to side as his eyes grew wide and he slowly walked backwards.

"Maker help me! She's here! Got to get away!" Before Jenra could ask any more questions, the man ran away. Anders came to attention.

"Uh, guys I'm feeling some strong magic heading our way so perhaps we should…" The party got out their weapons as up on the hill roots and vines gathered and opened to reveal an elven woman dressed in a light green cloak with fur. She looks down and glares at them.

"More scavengers to prey on the weak? No, you are too well armed…so for me then" the elven woman said. "You will not drive me from these forests, the shems could not do it, the darkspawn could not and you will not fare any better!" A cage of roots and thorns surrounded the party.

"We have no quarrel with you!"

The female elf face contorted into rage. "Lies! Your kind has been hounding me for months!" she yelled. "You shems killed my friends, and took my sister!" The elf raised her arms and a sharp spear of thorns shot out of the ground almost impaling them. Anders sent an arcane blast towards the Dalish woman but the roots surrounded her blocking the spell…Jenra and Oghren slashed at the roots holding them but they were hard like steel. "For too long, my people have suffered because of your kind! No more! Now you shems will know our pain!"

She started to chant in elvish; the trees twisted and shook as they came alive. "Such power…" Anders said. "The elf is tearing open the Veil like its paper!" Soon the party was surrounded by sylvans on all sides with nowhere to go. An arrow flew from the trees and struck the woman's arm, the elf yelled in pain while holding her arm.

"Who dare?!" More arrows flew from the trees; the elven woman enveloped herself in a barrier that bounced back the arrows. With a roar, she shot a fireball back and a figure jumped out of the trees. He rolled on the ground and had his arrow primed for the elven woman.

"Nathaniel?!" Another arrow was shot barely missing the elf; with her injured arm it would be hard to cast a spell. The roots enveloped her and the elf gone…retreated into the woods. The cage of roots fell allowing the party to fight back. With Nathaniel's help, they were able to defeat the sylvan. "What are you doing here? I thought you were heading for Denerim"

"I was…" After leaving the Keep, Nathaniel headed for Denerim…he used the Pilgrim's Path as it was the fastest way to the capital. Turns out it was a mistake, not soon after entering the woods Nathaniel was attacked by scavengers and highwaymen. Then the trees came alive and attacked all of them and Nathaniel had to join forces with bandits to fight the trees off. Fighting the trees ate through his resources and he headed back to Amaranthine to re-supply and come up with a new plan until he spotted the party. "I thought the trees were coming alive because of demons but I had no idea that woman was the one summoning them"

"Because of the attack on the caravan, Amaranthine is losing supplies to sustain itself" Jenra said. "And that is having an effect on the Keep"

"Amaranthine has been a lot worse off since I've been gone…very well I shall assist you"

"You don't have to…"

Nathaniel crossed his arms. "My family may not rule Amaranthine anymore but its still my home" he said. "Besides you'll need all the help you can get…after that sorry display"

"We would have been fine, I've been in tougher scrapes than that" Jenra said. "And you're quite arrogant considering you were my prisoner not that long ago"

"For the record, it was the mage and dwarf that captured me…if it weren't for them, I would have gotten away easily" Nathaniel said. "That would have been quite the embarrassment" Jenra and Nathaniel glared at each other until Anders cleared his throat to get their attention.

"If you two are quite done measuring each other's dicks, we have a crazed elf that needs to be stopped"

"Damn, just when it was starting to get good" Oghren said. Nathaniel walked away and the party followed afterward. "So boss, we're really going to let him come with us after he tried to off you?"

"Nathaniel and I came to an understanding"

"Whatever you say…just watch your back around the guy, vendettas like that don't just go away" The party went up a path that went up to an almost steep hill. On the ledges to the side bandits fired arrows at them; Anders fired bolts of lightning at them to stun the archers. Jenra and Ogren went in and killed the archers. Further in there was sounds of fighting, the bandits were fighting sylvans charred black from the fire bombs they threw at the trees. "Ooh, my kind of fight…"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Oghren but we're not here to waste our time with trivial fights" Jenra said.

"Humph…you're no fun" The party snuck past the bands and the sylvan, they went down a path where a camp was settled within ruins. Up ahead there was a common Ferelden sword driven deep into the ground of the campsite. It looked like it was planted here on purpose as a sort of message. They went into the camp, it was definitely dalish from the Aravels but it was empty and smelled of blood. There were weapons lying about, some were broken. To the side of the camp were shallow graves with a seedling marking the graves, a custom of the Dalish for their dead. More Ferelden weapons and armor was found on the ground, more proof of humans attack this elven camp. "Slag…"

"Well that's a sudden change in tone, before you were excited about fighting" Anders said.

"Nugs put up a better fight than this, this was a slaughter" the dwarf said. "Humans didn't do this…"

"How do you know?"

"Hmm…a feeling in my gut" Nathaniel saw tracks of blood away from the camp, whoever it was mortally injured. He touched it and found it was still fresh…this person was still lived but he would not be alive for long.

"We need to hurry, if this person dies the trail will go cold" he said. The party followed the trail; it was deep into sylvan territory. The trees came alive and attacked the party, Anders froze the trees to keep them from moving while Oghren shattered them with his axe. Jenra's sword lit up in flames and he sliced through the bark cleanly. Anders fired flame arrows torching the sylvan…when the fight was done; the party continued to follow the blood until it led to heavily injured man in brown heavy armor engraved by the symbol of the . "That armor…he's a part of the local militia in Amaranthine" Jenra came close to the man, his face had dark blotches on him…he eyes was grey and glazed over. This poor man had contracted the taint…he was lucky to be breathing this long. He turns his head.

"Don't look…don't look at me…" he said weakly.

"I know what ails…I'm sorry. My name is Jenra, Warden-Commander of Vigil's Keep"

"Warden-Commander…so we've failed that badly for the Wardens to come" the soldier said. "My name is Olaf…I came here with friends to drive out…away the elf. "But the darkspawn were too quick"

"We were ripped apart…claws and fangs from the darkness" Olaf said. "I awoke to flesh and bone under me….blood around me" The man coughed up blood as black as night…the Taint within him had progressed quickly. "Everyone dead…soft meat melting on the ground. I…I crawled away…could make it here…the bodies I can still see all"

"We saw the armor and weapons, did you kill the elves?"

"No…no, the darkspawn were first" he said. "They slaughtered us…took our steel. They brought it to the camp…don't know why"

"Jenra…" Anders said.

"Yes, I know…" Jenra said. "It would seem that the darkspawn wanted this to happen" Olaf's eyes went wide; he was going to die because his men and the elves were tricked by darkspawn. This was too clever for normal darkspawn… "Olaf, the elven woman said something about her sister, do you know anything about her?"

"Sis…ter? Elf-sister…no we know nothing about her, probably dead or eaten…"

"We need to find that woman, we have to stop and tell her she's wrong" Anders said.

"I doubt we can reach her…" Nathaniel said. "She's too deep in her rage to listen to reason"

"The dark ones are curious about you too." Olaf said. "They watch you as well as her…can you feel them?" Jenra looked over his shoulder; there were faint whispers in his head before the commander couldn't sense anything. Jenra had feeling that he can sense the darkspawn because they wanted to be sensed which was scary thought on its own. Jenra looked at Olaf…he was fading fast.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be…just make it end...please" Jenra sighed and took out his dagger. Knelt down and embraced Olaf while the dagger pointed to the man's vitals.

"May you walk with the Maker…"

"Thank you, Warden" Jenra plunged the dagger into Olaf's body and the man gave on last gasp before passing on….no pain, only peace. The party then used the makeshift camp he created into a funeral pyre and burned his body. Several whispers appeared behind the party, Jenra took out his sword as the darkspawn attacked. The party made quick work of the darkspawn and went to search for the elven woman but lucky for them she came to them. She appeared on the ledge, her arm was bandaged up…she took out her staff ready to fight.

"You will not surprise me like you did before, shem"

"You must stop this, you are killing innocent people!" Jenra said.

"They deserve everything I have done to them! They have brought this on themselves, just as you have!" A surge of magical energies swirled around her as she chanted in elven…the trees came alive and attacked the party. The roots surround her and she was gone like before but she didn't go far…she reappeared and ran towards the camp.

"So…her disappearing trick uses up a lot of mana, good to know" Anders said. "Uh…why are the trees not moving?" The sylvan stood still and let out a piercing sound that was hell to the party's ears. In the distance, they heard howls and saw as a pack of wolves came towards them with their fangs bared. The sound had enraged the wolves into madness. "Ugh…I really hate the woods now…"

"Anders, less complaining and more killing" The sylvan and wolves surrounded them and attacked.

 _ **Can they break through such rage? Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	16. Chapter 16: The Righteous Path pt2

**Chapter 16: The Righteous Path pt 2**

 _ **The Wending Woods-Dalish Camp**_

The dalish woman walked towards the camp that was once home…she was sluggish and breathing heavily as she came toward the graves of her fallen kin. The magic she used while powerful used up a lot of mana but that didn't matter as long as the humans payed for their crimes. She could hear footsteps coming up to the camp, the could only growl in exhaustion…the shems had sent a formidable group after her. She says a elven prayer to the fallen…it seems she would join them soon enough but not without taking them down with her. She takes out her staff and faces her executioners…they too must have been exhausted also from fighting the trees and beasts of the forests but they didn't show it.

"You…you will never take me alive, shem" the woman said trying to conjure what remaining strength she had.

"I'm not here to kill you" Jenra said.

The elf narrowed her eyes. "So you're here to capture me...to bring me to some shemlen magistrate" she said. "Forget it; I won't bow to your rules"

Nathaniel shook his head. "You are a stubborn woman, you know that?" he asked. "We're trying to talk to you"

"Talk…I didn't even know you shems were capable of it" The elf saw that Jenra and the party not once moved towards their weapons. Did they think her so little a threat that it was not worth it? She wouldn't put it past them. On the other hand, perhaps this could be a good opportunity…while they talked the elf could recover some of her strength. "Very well, speak quickly"

"Your anger is misplaced; the darkspawn played your people and the humans against one another" Jenra said.

"You think me a fool, shemlen?! What of the weapons or my sister's disappearance?!"

"The darkspawn planted the weapons…haven't you wondered why the weapons were left behind?" The elf looked at the weapons lying around…she had wondered in the back of her mind why anyone would discard perfectly good weapons. She had thought the humans were careless or they left it there as a message but now she wasn't so sure. Jenra went to his pouch and the elven woman stood her guard…her eyes then widen.

"That amulet…"

"I took it off of a darkspawn I killed" Jenra walked over and gave it to the woman. The elf clasped it gently and brought it close to her heart.

"This….this is Seranni's. She would never part with this amulet...my sister would die first before that happen" she said. "Our...mother gave it to her before she died"

"Why would the darkspawn do this?"

Jenra sighed. "I'm sorry to say this but if the darkspawn has captured your sister…then they're trying to make her into a broodmother" he said. "A monster whose only purpose is to make more darkspawn…"

"No! I will not allow that!"

"Then allow us to help"

The elf was taken aback. "You…you want to find Seranni? W…why?"

"Because it's my duty as a Grey Warden to protect the people of Thedas from the darkspawn"

"A Grey Warden…then it seems our interests align" The elf said. "Let me come with you"

"Are we sure this is a good idea? After all those people she killed and that she attacked us" Nathaniel asked.

"Why not? We let you tag along after all" Oghren said.

"Hmm, point taken"

"Well I'm fine with it, always nice to have another mage along" Anders said. "Besides she's a looker…what do you think her sister's like?" The mage whistled and the elf narrowed her eyes at him. Anders chuckles nervously. "Er, I mean, darkspawn bad. Grr"

"My name is Velanna, if you care for such things"

"And I am Jenra" The warden held out his hand, but the elf just turned away. Even though Velanna had decided to join them, that didn't mean she trusted them.

"Do you know where the darkspawn might dwell?"

"There must be a tunnel near most likely"

"Tunnel? I remember when my clan came to these woods we passed an abandoned mine north of here" Velanna said. "We didn't anything of use but I remember the hunters found many tunnels that run far into the earth" The party headed north of the forest where they spotted tracks leading into an open shaft. According to Nathaniel, Amaranthine was a major supplier of silverite at one time but one day the city just decided to abandon it by order of the Mining Guild's master. Not because they ran out of silverite to mine but because of the misfortunes that miners experienced working there. A rumor started, that the mine was cursed by Tevinter in the distant past…and that was the cause of the mine shutting down. Down the hill leading into the mine were darkspawn guarding the entrance.

"That's a lot of darkspawn…" Anders said.

"Too many to force our way through" Jenra said. "But…we don't need to" He turned to Velanna. "You summoned the sylvan before can you do it again?"

"At my strength, I can only summon maybe three or four of them…at best"

Jenra nodded. "That's all we'll need, we don't need to fight them just distract them long enough to get in" he said. "Get as close as you can to the entrance without them spotting you" The party scattered while Velanna started her spell, she started to glow as she feel the Veil tearing. She picked the wisps she needed from the Fade and placed them into the trees near the darkspawn. The trees came alive, attracting the attention of the darkspawn. When the spell was done, the elf could feel her knees buckle and she started to fall before Nathaniel caught her.

"Let me go, I don't need your help shemlen…"

"Your sorry state says otherwise, M'lady" While the darkspawn was fighting off the sylvan, the party slipped through and entered the mine.

* * *

 _The Seeker collected two elves, male and female. The rest died defending their camp. Unfortunate, but a small price to pay. The male has since dashed his head on the wall. Odd. Don't all living beings strive for survival?_

 _The Seeker confessed that he did more than simply collect the elves. He found the elves and humans at odds, then exacerbated the conflict by making the humans look responsible for the two elves' disappearances. He said he wanted to see how the elf leader would react. Odd again._

 _The female elf has developed a...bond of sorts with her guard. Many of the other disciples seem drawn to her as well. The Seeker says her name is Seranni. Perhaps I should speak to her. Maybe she will understand.-?_

 _ **Silverite Mine**_

The party went down the staircase, it was strange the outside had lots of darkspawn but inside was empty and quiet…too quiet in fact. They made it down the stairs where they heard footsteps behind them; the party turned and looked up. A most unusual darkspawn appeared…it looked more human than monstrous like darkspawn usually looked like. It wore robes that seemed fused to its skin engraved in gold making it look almost regal in appearance. Its face while deformed was still defined as human, like its robes it had a mask that was fused with its face. Next to the creature was a dwarven woman in grey heavy armor that had the symbols of Orzammar. Her face was black with blotches and her eyes were greyed over from the Taint. The darkspawn raised its hand and the ground glowed beneath them…the party had stepped on a glyph unknowingly.

Shh…sleep…

"Did that darkspawn just…?" Nathaniel started to yawn, and he shook his head. "What is…?"

"We got to get…" The party all dropped to the floor sleeping as the darkspawn took them away. There only darkness for a time, until he heard a voice…it was cold and dark. Jenra opened his eyes; in front of him were the darkspawn and the dwarf. He tried to move his arms and legs but found that they were bound…Jenra was at the mercy of this darkspawn.

"Ah, the commander of the Grey Wardens…" the darkspawn said. "Do not be frightened, your injuries have been tended to"

"I apologize for what must be done; I do not wish to be your enemy" it said. "But now is not the time for this…rest…" Jenra felt his eye get heavy and the warden returned to darkness. The next sensation he felt was something cold and wet, Jenra woke up to a cold hard floor as water dripped on his head from the ceiling below. He looked around, he was behind bars.

"Welcome back to the living boss" In the corner was Oghren, without his armor and axe. Jenra got off the floor, the others were with him…the darkspawn didn't even bother separating them. There were without their armor and weapons, they were dressed in common clothes…no doubt pillaged from their victims.

"Everyone is okay?"

"Yeah…well as okay as you can be considering our situation" Anders said.

"I wasn't going mad, was I?" Nathaniel asked. "You all saw it too, right? A darkspawn talked to us"

"Yes, we all saw…you never told me the darkspawn talked" Velanna said. "Hmm? Someone's coming" The door was closed in the distance and a young female elf in light armor approached the cage. Velanna gasped and ran towards the bars. "Seranni! Oh, creators, what have they done to you?" Seranni skinned was blotched and her eyes greyed over, the young elf had contracted the Taint like that dwarven woman.

"I'm fine, Velanna. It's not me he wants" she said turning her gaze towards Jenra.

"Who or what is he? Why does he want Grey Wardens?"

"There is no time…I have to get you out before something bad happens" Seranni said. "I don't want anyone else to be hurt"

"Okay, let me out and I'll take you home" Velanna said.

"Any idea where our equipment is?" Jenra asked.

"They are plaything for the darkspawn, but they're not the intelligent ones…you can get them back if you're careful and clever" Behind her, the doors started to rattle….Seranni took the keys and unlocked their cell. "They come, you must hurry!"

"Wait, this is all going too fast…just what is going on here?!" Anders said.

"You have to go, find a way out of the mine! Please!" Seranni ran away before they could get answers. The doors slammed opened as the darkspawn flooded in.

"We're outnumbered and without weapons or armor…great day this is turning into…" Jenra walked up with an intense look on his face and using a sharp piece of on the floor took it and cut himself deeply in his hands. "Maker, are you mad?!" As Jenra's blood dripped to the ground, it started to swirl around his arms to form in the shape of claws. Andes took a step back a little, with wide eyes.

"B…blood magic?! How?! You're not a mage!"

"You are right, I'm not a mage and this is not blood magic" Jenra explained. "For one thing, I can't manipulate the blood of others, only my own" Jenra charged the darkspawn, slicing the dark creatures into ribbons with his blood claws. Oghren cracked his knuckles with a grin on his face and joined Jenra in taking down the darkspawn. Nathaniel picked up a severed rod off the floor and beat down the darkspawn coming towards him. Velanna cast spells and incinerated the hordes with fire, Anders snapped out of his shock to cast ice spells to freeze them solid. After the battle the party took the weapons off of the corpses. Darkspawn weapons were as ugly as they were shoddily made but for their uses, it would have to enough.

The party escaped and head down the hall and turned a corner where they came face to face with a dwarven ghoul wearing Oghren's armor and weapons. "Hey! That's mine! That thing has my things!" Oghren growled. "It's got its sallow, clammy hands all over my doo-dads, touching my junk!" The ghoul simply giggled madly and ran away.

"No one touches Oghren's junk and lives!" The dwarf ran after the ghoul with the party closely following.

 _ **Escape the lair of the darkspawn! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	17. Chapter 17: The Righteous Path pt3

**Chapter 17: The Righteous Path pt3**

 _Utha,_

 _I know this has tested your patience. You first gave your blood years ago to further our common dream. I know at times it seems we're going nowhere. Trust me, Utha, I echo your frustration. Vigil's Keep was a setback, yes, but minor. I intend to keep my promise to you. Perhaps you should venture above ground. The greenery and fresh air would do your spirit good._

 _-What happens if the Old Gods perish? Does the song die with them?_

 _-The blood is the key. The blood is always the key._

 _-The female elf is accommodating, allowing me to take her blood for my work. Perhaps she thinks I'll release her if she cooperates._

 _-My disciples report that another elf is rampaging through the woods, killing humans. Revenge for what we did to her kind, only she hasn't seen through the Seeker's ruse. We'll keep this from Seranni. If she is upset, she may stop cooperating._

 _-Perhaps I should have killed it while it slept.-?_

 _ **Silverite Mine**_

Screams could be heard in one of the rooms in the mine, a Grey Warden, the sole survivor of the attack on Vigil's Keep was in engulfed in dark magicks. The pain was unlike anything he's ever felt and he had his ribs broken by an Ogre once…it felt like his very soul was being drained from his body not just his blood. Over on his right side was the darkspawn responsible for his torment…this darkspawn frightened him more than any of them. Usually there was savagery in the darkspawn's cruelty; a type of sadism one would see in a well-fed cat playing with a mouse it just killed…no rhyme or reason just pleasure and amusement. This darkspawn, this Architect as its thralls would call it, was different...it's cruelty was cold, calculating and indifferent. It was something very frighteningly familiar…it was almost human. The pain stopped and the Warden welcomed it…the Architect went over to the cages of darkspawn. The Warden's vision was blurry but from what he could see…darkspawn were walking out of the cage, looking around the world as if a fog had lifted.

"Where…are we? Who are you?" The darkspawn spoke.

"Home…I am your kin, you may call me the Architect" it said in tone a father would take with a child.

"The Song…I do not hear it, where is the Song?!" the darkspawn said. The Warden must have lost a lot more blood than he thought because he could have sworn he heard fear from the darkspawn.

"The Song is gone, my kin…you are free from its chains free to determine your path"

One of the darkspawn held its head. "No, no, no…need the Song, needs it, needs it, NEEDS IT!" The darkspawn in its frenzy attack the Architect and anything in its sight, the Architect raises it hand and the crazed darkspawn burst into black flames until nothing is left. The Architect just lowered its head and shook it.

"A pity…" it said. "Why is it that some of my kin degrades and others do not? I must know…" An Hurlock in heavy armor came in with an Ogre accompanying it, around its neck was two rings. The Warden recognized one of them…it was his wedding ring, a ring he bought for his beloved wife. The other ring he didn't recognize but it was most likely taken from a poor soul like him. He gave a weak and pitiful growl…his anger was great but his body was broken. "Take this warden to the Pit… I have no use for him" the Architect said. "Bring me the other wardens"

* * *

 _ **Royal Palace-Months ago**_

 _Jenra woke up and looked over to the side of the bed…the other side was empty. Last night Jenra and Morrigan admitted their feeling for each other which resulted in them making love before the final battle. That love would result in a child…a child Jenra would never be able to see as was their agreement. The young lord sighed as he got dressed for the final battle. A knock was at the door, Jenra went to the door._

" _Morrigan…"_

" _Jenra…" The silence was awkward between them before the witch spoke up. "I…have something for you"_

 _Jenra chuckled. "Is it bigger than a bread box?"_

 _Morrigan rolled her eyes. "I see Alistair's wit has rubbed off on you" she said dryly. "'Tis a ring…" She then blushed. "Now before you get any foolish notions, let me explain"_

" _Flemeth once gave me the ring because it allowed her to track me no matter where I went…insurance in case of hunters or Templars"_

 _Jenra's eyes went wide. "Has she known where we've been this whole time?"_

" _No, I disabled its power when we left the Wilds, but I had a thought to change it. Now, I will be able to find whoever wears it instead"_

 _Jenra smiled, Morrigan didn't fooled him…she was worried about him. "It's a sweet gift, thank you"_

 _Morrigan face turned bright red as she turned around in a huff. "'Tis not a gift to be given out of sentimentality. This battle is too important to risk you, should we ever get separated in the chaos this ring would allow the rest of us to find you quickly"_

" _Glad to see you care"_

 _Morrigan turned and glared at him. "Now you are mocking me. Do you wish the ring or not? I am now tempted to simply keep it" Jenra came over and kissed the witch's lips…she gave a little moan and purr before suddenly pushing him away. "You…are welcome, now perhaps we should get back at the task at hand. You have a country to save, after all"_

* * *

 _ **Silverite Mine-Now**_

Jenra was in a foul mood…he had gotten back his armor and weapons but the ring Morrigan gave him was gone. His only link to his beloved was gone and he would raze the entire mine to get it back. A Hurlock swung its sword at him; Jenra caught the blade with his bare hand and beheaded the darkspawn quickly and without mercy. He then looked through the darkspawn's corpse…no sign of his ring, Jenra continued on.

"So uh…not that I'm not enjoying this little carnage but shouldn't we get out of here now that we have our equipment back" Anders said.

"I agree, the longer we stay here the more we could be overwhelmed by darkspawn" Nathaniel said.

"We cannot leave, not without my sister!" Velanna said. Further down the hall was a large room at the end, the air choked the lungs of the party. It smelled of death and what gasses leaked in these mines. The room held many shelves of books, some so old that they were decayed and falling apart. The tables that lined the walls were full of books and research supplies, judging from wear and tear from them they were used quite often. Whatever darkspawn they were dealing with was not only capable of language but also reading and writing. In the middle of the room was a white alter reddened from whatever horror that took place in here. Cages littered the ceilings full of bones from darkspawn, down below were artefacts the design was old…so old in fact that the party didn't know where it's from.

"I don't like it here…whatever went on here is turning my stomach" Anders said.

"Cousland, there's a door down there" Nathaniel said. "That is our way out"

"We'd die from the gasses before we reach the doors" Nathaniel checked the controls in front of the altar; he moved the levers and the relics started to move as the gasses swirled around. It was sucked into the crevices clearing the way. The party made their way down, where they spotted several darkspawn gathered around the idol to the Old Gods, they stood in silence as if they were praying. Oghren started to take out his axe but Jenra stopped him.

"What?"

"Too many of them, we're low on potions as it is" Jenra said. "We can use the ballista over there"

"Killjoy…that's no fun" the dwarf grumbled. "But you're the boss" The party took the position; if the ballista didn't kill the darkspawn outright…they needed to be prepared. Jenra and Oghren loaded the ballista and aimed for the center, Velanna and Anders prepared for the Storm of the Century just in case. Jenra fired the ballista and the impact created debris that shredded the darkspawn into bloody pulps. The party went on ahead into the mine proper; it was full of silverite ore lining the walls. No darkspawn attacked them in the tunnels, not surprising considering the creatures feared the metal…the sound of moaning echoed the tunnels as they got closer it got louder. They followed the sound until they spotted a man with dark brown hair bloodied and naked…his legs were smashed in a dozen places. He was emaciated, not having food or water for who knows how long.

"Maker…how's he still living with those wounds?" Nathaniel asked. The man opens his eyes and gave a raspy gasp.

"Y…You're the Warden-Commander. I…would give you the proper welcome, but as you can see I'm in a very sorry sight here" he said. "Did those bastards get you too?"

"Yes"

"I have hoped you would avoid capture…but alas it was not to be" he said. "I am Keenan, one of the Wardens from Orlais that was sent to help rebuild the order in Ferelden."

"Are there more of you, lad?" Oghren asked.

"No, I am the only one left…"

"What are the darkspawn doing here?" Jenra asked.

"I'm not sure…the emissary who leads them is called the Architect and it is more cunning than any darkspawn I've encountered" Keenan said. "It is fascinated with the Wardens" Keenan could the light draining from him, he would not have long before death claimed him.

"Listen, I am not long for this world…if you could Commander, please fulfill my last request" he said. "There is a darkspawn here carrying a maul, a sadistic beast…it crushed my legs and killed many of my friends, it likes to claim trophies of its victims…it has my wedding ring"

"Please, slay him and bring the ring to my wife in Amaranthine" he said. "Tell her I died making the world better for her….and our…." Keenan gave one last gasp before closing his eyes.

"I swear to you, I will honor your request" The party traversed the mine's caverns fighting ghouls and genlocks on their way to the exit. Out in the open, were a pile of corpses and darkspawn necromancer…with a twirl of its staff it had raise the enemies the party had killed. The battle was long and brutal as necromancer kept raising its thralls; Anders cleansed the area of magic allowing Jenra to strike the final blow. When the fight was done, the party makes it to a large door. They could see it, the exit but up in the balcony was the darkspawn…the Architect, to his side was the dwarven woman and Velanna's younger sister, Seranni.

"Seranni!" Velanna said. Something was wrong; the young elf's demeanor was different from before. The door on the other side opened and in came a Hurlock in heavy armor…Jenra frowned as he saw two items glittering from its neck. The darkspawn gave a yell and two dragons flew to its side and attacked. As the party fought back, the Architect just looked on and watched the battle with great interest. The Hurlock and Jenra clashed weapons as the rest of the party dealt with the dragons. As the battle quickly came to an end, the dwarf turned and walked away so did the Architect and Seranni into the tunnels. Velanna could only look on in shock…why was her sister acting like this. Jenra picked up his ring and Keenan's ring off the corpse of the darkspawn. The Architect looked back and met eyes with Jenra as it cast a spell that made it disappear and collapse the tunnel it was in. The party had escaped but this was just the beginning.

 _ **Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	18. Chapter 18: The Righteous Path-Aftermath

**Chapter 18: The Righteous Path-Aftermath**

 ** _Silverite_** _ **Mine**_

"Seranni!" Velanna said. Something was wrong; the young elf's demeanor was different from before…before there was concern but from the way she looked at the darkspawn there was devotion. The door on the other side opened and in came a Hurlock in heavy armor…Jenra frowned as he saw two items glittering from its neck, the wedding ring and the ring from Jenra's beloved. The darkspawn gave a yell and two male dragons flew to its side, they were red as blood and surrounded by a black aura that flowed like tendrils.

The Hurlock grunted and the dragon attacked. As the party fought back, the Architect just looked on and watched the battle with great interest. The Hurlock and Jenra clashed weapons as the rest of the party dealt with the dragons. As the battle quickly came to an end, the dwarf turned and walked away into the tunnels with the Architect and Seranni following. Velanna could only look on in shock…why was her sister acting like this? Jenra picked up his ring and Keenan's ring off the corpse of the darkspawn, he wiped the blood off his ring and caressed gently before placing it back on his finger. The Architect looked back and met eyes with Jenra as it cast a spell that made it disappear and collapse the tunnel it was in. The party had escaped but this was just the beginning.

"No…" Velanna said in despair. "Why? Why would she go with that monster?" The elf dropped to her knees and placed her head into her hands as she wept. Nathaniel came to her side and pulled her up.

"Pull yourself together, you are no use to anyone like this" he said harshly. "She's still alive isn't she? You'll get another chance" Velanna pulled away from him to dry her tears and compose herself.

"You…you're right. I can't show weakness…not right now, I have to think…there must be another way"

"Remember they are darkspawn, so they are most likely heading toward the Deep Roads" Jenra said.

"The Durgen'len, yes…" The elf then turned towards Jenra. "They say Wardens can sense darkspawn even deep beneath the ground" she said. "I wish to join the Grey Wardens, give me the ability to hunt down those monsters in the Deep!"

Jenra crossed his arms. "You sure about this? The Joining could kill you and then where would you be?"

"At the very least, it's hard to get the taste out of your mouth for a few hours" Anders said dryly.

Velanna gave a determined look. "I have lost my clan and my friends…what else could I lose? I am not afraid of death!" she said. "I will pledge my service to in exchange for the powers your order grant"

"And you won't be alone" Nathaniel said. "I too shall pledge my service to the Wardens"

Jenra looked Nathaniel surprised. "What about you wanting to serve in King Alistair's army?"

"My home is being threatened by that monster…my family may not rule Amaranthine any longer but I still have my duty as a Howe" he said. "Besides, from way things look, you'll need all the help you can get"

"What say you, Commander?" Velanna asked.

"Then I welcome you to the Grey Wardens"

"Ma serannas then let us be on our way" The party exited the mine, and headed back to Vigil's Keep. Meanwhile…

* * *

 _ **Deep Roads**_

The Architect and its servants was heading back to the Deep Roads, the mine was no longer safe to continue their work. The emissary took of its mask to reveal a mostly human but deformed face…weariness and annoyance plagued its features. "Unfortunate…" The dwarven woman stopped and looked at the Architect. She placed her hand on its talons giving the darkspawn a concerned and saddened look. "All is lost, I'm afraid there is no point in returning, Utha" it said. "Your former comrades are impressive, especially their new commander…they will not listen to reason"

Utha gives the Architect a look that shook the darkspawn to its core, it was disappointment apparently even darkspawn were not above reacting to such emotion. Utha turned and walked away if she could not get what she seeks then there was only one path for her. "Utha, I will fulfill my promise to you, I shall find another avenue" the Architect said. "How I wished we could avoid this path but alas…come, we must prepare"

* * *

 _ **Pilgrim's Path**_

Back on the Pilgrim's Path, the party was close to Vigil's Keep and good thing too as sundown was coming fast. As soon as they got back, Jenra needed to tell Varel about the Architect…it wasn't enough for them to rebuild, the wardens fighting force needed to be top-notch. The party would rest first and then begin the Joining the next day…he had hope the new recruits' will would see them through. "Cousland" Jenra looked back. "So, tell me…are those blood claws you used is what have to look forward to when I become a warden?"

"No, this power is mine and mine alone" Jenra said.

"So any advice?" Nathaniel asked.

"If you're asking me if there's a special trick to surviving the Joining, I can't help you there" he said. "I could have just as easily died in the ritual but I did it anyway I needed to see justice through for my family's sake" Nathaniel said nothing for a short while. "I get the feeling you are joining the wardens for more than Amaranthine's sake"

"I need to know…" he said. "My father was never the easiest man to get along with but…something must have changed him, it must have..." Nathaniel then stopped and smelled the air. "Do you smell smoke?"

Jenra sniffed the air also. "Yes, it is close" he said. "Everyone, be on your guard" The party continued along the path until they were in an open field. The entire field was on fire…with darkspawn on the ground dead. In front of the corpse were several of the Dalish, one of them saw the party and approached him. He was young elf with tattoos on his face and long brown hair braided and tied into a ponytail; he wore grey light armor and carried a bow. He held up his hand.

Andaran atish'an, travelers…do not be startled, we only wish passage"

Velanna walked up. "Marren?"

"Velanna! This is a surprise…you're traveling with…."

"Humans, yes…the irony does not escape me, clanmate"

Merren sighed. "We are no longer your clan, Velanna"

"No longer her clan? What is he talking about?" Anders asked. "Is she not Dalish?"

"I am still Dalish! I will always be Dalish!" Velanna said angrily.

Merren shook his head. "I would have thought exile would humble you…but I am sadden to see it hasn't"

"Stop, I do not wish to speak of this" Velanna said. "Merren, the others who left with me…they are dead and Seranni is gone, taken by the darkspawn"

Merren frowned. "Ilshae warned her not to go with you…she feared your rage would bring about ruin" he said. "You see what you brought on her?"

Velanna snorted. "Then tell Ilshae that she is right! Oh, I can see her smug…"

"Ilshae has passed on" Velanna eyes went wide, as she stuttered to get out the words but none would come. "You know nothing but hatred…the clan is better off without your poison" The party expected fire from Velanna but those flames were smoldered as she stood there and let Merren's words hang in the air. Usually this would be where Jenra stepped in, but he decided to stay out of it…this was going to be as pleasant as it gets. "Ah, we have lingered too long…Andrvil guide your path, Velanna" The Dalish went on their way and the party continued on.

"You going to be alright, Velanna? That couldn't have been…."

Velanna glared at the mage. "I need not your pity, shemlen" The elf walked on ahead of the shocked Anders, Oghren walked beside him.

"Let it go, Blondie…that woman is as prideful as they come"

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

The party made it back to the Keep just before darkness sat in; the first one to greet them was Mistress Woolsey. "Ah Commander, so glad I could catch you at an opportune time" she said. "I have gotten a letter from the Merchant's Guild master, apparently you have taken care of the problem on the Pilgrim's Path" Jenra looked back at Velanna, he couldn't tell them that she was responsible for attack the caravans in a misunderstood rage.

"Not necessarily, the darkspawn and the bandits warring with each other took care of the problem" Jenra said. "The roads should be safer but I'll be talking to Varel to see if we can increase security"

"Ah very good, I shall let the guild master know at once" Woolsey walked away and Velanna walked up near him.

"Why didn't you tell her I was responsible for the caravans?"

"She didn't need to know the details, just that the problem was solved" Jenra said. "Unless…you want a meeting with the noose"

"No…I prefer that to not happen" she said. "So what now? Does the ritual start soon?"

"Not right now, I need to tell Varel of the Architect and we all need rest from what happened" Jenra disbanded the party and went into the throne room where Varel and other people he did not recognize was waiting for them. The people in the room gave Jenra a bow as he walked towards the Seneschal. "Varel…what is all of this?"

"Commander, these are the lords of Amaranthine…they have come to swear fealty to you and the Grey Wardens" Jenra blinked, he had forgotten that he wasn't just here to rebuild Amaranthine…he was effectively the new arl. "These were Arl Rendon Howe's vassals and now they are yours"

Jenra frowned. "Can I trust them?" he asked. "Or should I watch for the dagger in my back?" The lords and the ladies shifted uncomfortably from Jenra's stinging remark.

"Arl Howe was a bastard, yes but a lonely bastard" One of them said. "Some of us had no love for Rendon, especially after what was done to your family"

"With Rendon out of the way, Amaranthine can prosper better…" he said. "We are loyal, now and always"

"Then we shall make this official"

Jenra came close to Varel. "Do we really need to do this? I am tired, I smell like a mabari rolled in shit and I'm not exactly looking my best"

"This will be a quick swear in session, the official business can start tomorrow" Jenra sighed and went along with the pomp and circumstance. "Lords and ladies, I present the Warden-Commander of Ferelden and Arl of Amaranthine"

One of the nobles knelt. " Commander"

"Arise, our differences are many but our cause is one"

"Bann Esmerelle of Amaranthine, as is old custom, you have the honor of beginning" A young woman came forward and curtsied the young lord.

"I promise that I, Bann Esmerelle, will be faithful to the arl in matters of life, limb, and earthly honor" she said. "Never will I bear arms against him or his heirs. So I say in the sight of the Maker" And so it continued past midnight, Jenra was on his throne….slouching in his seat, about to fall off from exhaustion, who knew Amaranthine had this many lords and ladies.

"…And so the ceremony is complete"

"Long live the Warden-Commander!" The nobles left leaving Jenra with his Seneschal.

Jenra groaned. "'Short swearing-in session' you say…I thought I was going to hear my Calling"

"Yes well, some of the nobles like to make theater of the fealty" Varel said. "One word of warning, Commander when you killed Rendon…you had killed some of the nobles' prospects"

"They swear fealty to you, but know they may be working to undermine your authority" he said. "Tread carefully"

"Wonderful…looking forward to that" Jenra said sarcastically. "Now that this is done, let's get on with the real business at hand…Varel, we found something terrible"

 _ **The war begins…Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	19. Chapter 19: The Call of Duty 1

**Chapter 19: The Call of Duty Ⅰ**

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Mess Hall**_

Nathaniel was in the mess hall getting some food before he headed to the throne room for his Joining. It was amazing, none of the guards seemed to recognize him despite the fact he was the son of the late Arl Howe and that he tried to kill Jenra days ago. He received his food and headed for a table…the other tables were full expected from the morning breakfast rush before guard duty except for one. In the table in the back sat Velanna, the soldiers kept their distance from woman and the elf liked it that way. Although Velanna said she was joining the Warden, that didn't mean she was going to be friends with the humans.

She ate the food given to her; it tasted good much better than the food that the clan had to forage for. Before she could take another bite, Velanna heard a crash and yelling…one of the elven servants tripped and fell, spilling the roasted chicken to floor. The head chef came out and yelled at the elven girl, no younger than fifteen even going so far as hitting the poor girl with a wooden spoon. Velanna frowned at this and was about to something before she saw Nathaniel come up and defend the servant girl from the wrath of the head chef, he even picked the chicken from the floor and ate it himself…telling the chef it was still good and he'll take it off their hands. The head chef looked disgusted but relented and went back into the kitchen to yell at more servants. The elven girl bowed in gratitude before leaving to get cleaned up. He went to Velanna's table and ate to which the elf sharply glared at him.

"Hmm, your glares suggest that you do not care for my presence"

"Why are you sitting here to eat?" she asked.

"The other tables are full, and yours was the closest one" Nathaniel said. "You can move if you want but I'll be staying here" Velanna snorted and continued eating….the two of them sat in silence.

"I…saw what you did earlier, defending that girl from that hag" she said. "You have my respect for what you did; most shems would not do that"

"Think nothing of it…the chef's voice was grating on the nerves and I wanted it to stop"

"If it was only that, why eat the food off the floor?"

"Why let good food go to waste?" He said simply. "You know if you want to know about humans, all you have to do is ask"

Velanna was taken aback and frowned. "What makes you think I would want to know anything about you shems?"

Nathaniel smirked. "You spent your entire life thinking you know us and then after your little rampage in the Wending Wood, Cousland comes around and not only spares you for what you've done but also offers you to help find your sister" he said. "And now everything you think you know about humans is turned upside down, so tell me, how's my little theory?"

"Don't look so smug, shemlen…" she said. "I've heard that you were once…a noble, I heard the Commander talk about you with another human"

"Yes, I was...my family had been in charge of this land since before the Blessed Age"

"And you don't?" Nathaniel didn't say anything; apparently this was a sore subject…something to remember for Velanna. "Your kind call yourselves nobles…it seems ironic considering history"

"Yes well, we like irony and it rolls off the tongue better than oppressors" Nathaniel said dryly.

Velanna scoffs. "The human thinks he's funny…"

"Not I, I wouldn't dare lighten your mood, my lady"

* * *

 _ **Throne Room**_

In the throne room, Jenra told Varel of what happened in the Wending Woods. From investigating the attacks on the caravans to escaping the clutches of the Architect. "It is a shame that you weren't able to bring back Keenan but at least he's with the Maker" Varel said. "But this is disturbing…what does this Architect want?"

"No idea, but it's obsessed with the wardens" Jenra said. "All I know is that we haven't seen the last of that creature"

"Then we must be ready, now that you made the Pilgrim's Path somewhat safer I'll have Captain Elias and his men collect silverite from the mines" Varel said. "I have some contacts in place to help fortify the Keep"

Jenra nodded. "In the meantime, we have two more members to induct into our ranks"

"Yes, about one of them…"

"I know you have problems with Nathaniel but he offered to join and we need all the help we can get"

"I served his father, I know what monstrous things he has done in the Keep" Varel said. "His legacy is that of traitors…and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"

"We have to give Nathaniel a chance to prove himself, because if we don't then there may really be a chance that he'll turn out like his father"

Varel sighed. "Very well, I trust in your judgement but just in case I will be watching him closely" He nodded towards the messengers to get Nathaniel and Velanna…the Joining was nigh. Later on, they were both in the throne room…for Nathaniel it was strange being in here, he had vivid memories of him and his siblings standing before his father as he sat on his throne. He was larger than life and his stature intimidated anyone that came before him…except one person, Seneschal Varel. His father often butted heads with the seneschal and the debate often became heated and loud…so loud in fact that one could hear it from the servants' quarters. Back in those days, Nathaniel thought his father invincible but seeing Jenra there on the throne made him see differently. Varel was at his side, not hiding his displeasure at seeing Nathaniel…the young Howe didn't know the whole story but he had heard Varel and his father parted on sour terms.

Varel walked towards the table with the goblet, Anders explained it to them just before coming in. Within that goblet was darkspawn blood mixed with herbs, they were to drink it and if they survived then they were Grey Wardens. Nathaniel swallowed hard, he was so confident before funny how all of that crumble when faced with death. Velanna however showed no fear, a trait Nathaniel envied. Varel walked over to Velanna with the goblet. "From this moment forth, Velanna of the Dalish, you are a Grey Warden"

"Then let it be" Velanna with no hesitation took the goblet and took a sip. The elf gasped as her eyes went to the back of her head and she fell to the ground. Varel knelt down and took her pulse…it was weak but she was alive.

"She draws breath, Commander. She will recover" Jenra nodded to the soldiers, and they came to take Velanna to healers to rest. And now it was Nathaniel's turn, Varel looked at him with a neutral face but the young Howe could just tell…the Seneschal didn't think he was up to it. Nathaniel wouldn't be surprised if Varel was hoping for his demise, pride took the place of fear…he would love nothing more than to show the old man up. "From this moment forth, Nathaniel Howe, you are a Grey Warden" Nathaniel took the goblet and drinks it, the first thing he hears are whispers as his eye rolled to the back of his head. He drops to the floor…Varel checks is pulse…

"The Howe boy is stronger than I expected…for better or worse, he will live" Nathaniel was taken away to the healers for rest. Jenra sat on his throne with relief…there would be no funeral pyre for today. The doors opened and a young red-haired woman in black and dark red armor came in and she was arguing with a dwarf with light brown hair.

"What the voided hell were you thinking man?" she asked angrily.

"I was thinking of saving the Keep…and we did" Varel cleared his throat to get the woman and dwarf's attention.

"What is going on here? The Commander has had a long day" The tow of them bowed and introduced themselves. Sergeant Maverlies was one of the officers in charge of the soldiers at Vigil's Keep. According her, her family has been protecting the Keep since the days of Chasind Uprisings in the Towers Age. Next to her was Dworkin Glavonak, a surface dwarf allied with the Keep, he is brother of Voldrik Glavonak, the stonemason in charge of repairs for the Keep. He is an unscrupulous inventor and explosives builder. His reputation has earned him several nicknames, such as "Dworkin the Mad," "Dworkin the Explosives Dwarf," and "mad exploding short person," by Sergeant Maverlies. Dworkin is obsessed with his work, even at the cost of four of his apprentices and a smith.

"I don't mean to alarm you, Commander, but its possible there are still darkspawn in the Vigil"

"Explain"

Maverlies looked Dworkin and frowned. "You have this dwarf to thank; his damned bombs shook the whole keep"

"And thinned out the darkspawn numbers, allowing our people to retake the Keep" he said.

"Your bombs could have made things worse!" The soldier then shook her head. "Some of the deep cellars caved in and some of the soldiers report of hissing and growls"

"I suspect there are pockets of darkspawn below, trapped" she said. "In time, they may dig their way out"

Varel looked at Jenra. "Even if the darkspawn don't dig a way out, they still pose danger another way" he said. "Our food and water supplies are down there"

"I can kill the darkspawn but digging my way in could be a problem" Jenra said.

Dworkin smirked and came forward. "I can get you down there in no problems at all"

Maverlies crossed his arms. "No, your damned bombs might bring the ceiling around the Commander's ears" she said. "The hallways down there have been crumbling for years and decades"

"How did the darkspawn get down there?"

"I don't know Commander, but nobody saw them approach on the surface" Maverlies said. "I can get the stonemason and his men to clear the rubble for your passage"

Jenra nodded. "Then I shall make preparations"

* * *

 _ **Healing room**_

Nathaniel woke up to a throbbing headache…he looked over to his side and Velanna was coming to also. The healers gave them a potion to help clear their head, they gagged as they took a sip but it was still much better than the darkspawn blood they just consumed. When his head cleared up he got up and saw Jenra walking his way. "You're up, good…how do you feel?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Velanna asked. "Do warden's always such…disturbing dreams?

"Yes unfortunately…but luckily, you didn't have the dreams during the Blight" Jenra said. "They will fade in time" Jenra took out two amulets containing just a trace of the darkspawn blood consumed in the initiate's ritual.

"What's this?" Nathaniel asked.

"Your oath" Jenra showed his amulet. "You get these after you survive your joining" he said. "They are reminders of a warden's eternal vigil against the darkspawn hordes" Nathaniel and Velanna stood in silence, as the reality of their situation started to set in. The small amulets in their hand now felt like they weighed a ton. Nevertheless they placed their amulets on their necks.

"What's next?"

"Usually I would allow you to rest a little more, but we have a problem" Jenra said. "Darkspawn are below the Keep and we must slay them before they become a problem"

"Make your preparations and meet Oghren and I down the cellar" After setting up their equipment, they headed down into the cellars. Voldrik Glavonak and his men cleared the rubble…it was quite impressive they got it done so fast. Anders stayed behind to protect the Keep just in case darkspawn got past them and headed for the surface. The party headed underground.

 _ **Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	20. Chapter 20: It Came From Beneath Act 1

**Chapter 20: It Came From Beneath Act 1**

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Basement**_

The basement of the Keep was old and rundown from decades of abandonment. The walls were lined with strange and pretty disturbing statues from the distant past, warrior statues and three headed dragon statues along with some boxes white from heavy dust and cobwebs…whatever was the purpose of this area was long forgotten. Several darkspawn corpses were on the floor with their throats ripped out…in the middle of the room was a mabari curled tightly on the floor, shivering not from the cold but distress. Upon closer inspection, the mabari was female…female mabari were smaller than the males, her fur is patchy and caked with dirt and blood. The Keep has a mabari kennel up top, so this must be one of their mabari…the fact the poor creature was still alive after being buried here along with the darkspawn was a testament to the breed's hardiness.

The mabari sniffed the air, got up and growled at the party…fighting for her life all this time had put the hound on edge and wary of danger. Jenra ordered the party to back off as he came knelt down to calm the dog. "Easy girl, you are among friends…" He takes off his gauntlet and slowly stretches his hand out, the mabari stopped growling long enough to approach slowly and sniff his hand. With a small whine, she licks Jenra's hand and the young lord pet the hound gently calming her. As Jenra was petting her, he found a small scroll bound to her collar. He reads the scroll, a woman named Adria writes that she has taken refuge in the lower levels of the keep. Nathaniel eyes went wide from hearing that name. "Nathaniel, you know this Adria"

"Yes, she was…she was like a mother to me, we must save her"

Jenra nodded. "We will"

"What do we do with the hound?" Velanna asked. Jenra called Maverlies and a group of soldiers took the mabari to the kennel to heal from her wounds. With that done, the party continued on until they were attacked by hurlocks. Velanna calls roots from beneath the earth to skewer hurlocks while Jenra and Oghren beheaded them. The party continued on further down, they were in a room with prisons everywhere and they were attacked by the prisoners now afflicted with the taint. With no weapons or armor, the party made quick work of them. In a cell on their left two men pleaded for help, unlike the other prisoners they were not tainted but they were not well of from the looks of them.

"Oh, thank the Maker! Please let us out!"

"Who are you people?" Jenra asked.

"Rendon Howe's special prisoners…" one of them said. "We are or were dissenters that were unhappy with his methods"

"Dissenters? Were you allied with Varel?"

"Yes, we assisted the seneschal in helping Rendon's victims" he said. "When we were captured, Rendon's men tortured us to give away our allies…when Rendon couldn't get anything out of us, he settled for us to be his…stress reliever" Nathaniel looked at the prison, it was nothing like the dungeon above…the spikes, the rack this prison was made for torture. A sense of bitterness washed over the young Howe, his father always told him that torture was not the Howe way; it was the way of savages and Orlesians…but that was a lie. Nathaniel had to wonder, what else has his father lied to him about?

"It's been so long…tell us what has happened on the outside?"

"Rendon is dead and the Grey Warden controls the Keep" Jenra said.

The prisoner eyes went wide and then gave a jolly laugh. "So the Butcher of Denerim is dead, good riddance I say. Hopefully Amaranthine can now recover from his terror" Jenra released the prisoners and they were all too happy to get out of this terrible place. Nathaniel stood there silently, so much had happened since being in the Free Marches…maybe if they find Adria she can tell him the whole story. The party went on their way and found that the basement went in deeper than they originally thought. They entered an old crypt…so old in fact that it was before the current keep was built. There were carvings on the sarcophagus, they were ancient but recognizable. They were Avvar, mountainous wild folk that made their homes close to the Frostback Mountains. They were one of the tribes of the Alamarri. Although often referred to as a single entity, the Avvars are actually groups of small tribes who operate independently of each other. The only unifying concepts that the Avvars share are their beliefs and culture. When Jenra touched the sarcophagus the howls of the undead was heard as skeletons of Avvar warriors of old attacked them.

Velanna froze the skeletons around them and then shattered them with a magical cage. Oghren jumped to the ground to fight where the undead was the thickest. Jenra's soul brand destroyed the spirits inside the undead while Nathaniel burned the skeletons to dust with his fire arrows. When the fighting was done, they continued on into a cavern. Oghren smelled the air and smirked. "Well, well home sweet home"

"What are you talking about, dwarf?" Velanna asked.

"The Deep Roads are near, I know its smell anywhere" Oghren said. "The Keep may have a bigger problem on its hand" As they entered the caverns, they saw a brown-haired woman in fine clothing kneeling.

"Adria!" Jenra held him back. "Cousland?"

Jenra frowned. "Something's wrong" Adria looked back at them…blotted skin, dead greyed out eyes. "I'm sorry, Nathaniel…the Taint has taken her"

"No, no, Adria…" he said. "We have to help her…there must be some way" An inhuman scream came from the woman and she attacked along with other ghouls. This pained the young Howe but he had no choice but to defend himself. The battle was quickly over, Oghren and Velanna went to check further while Nathaniel knelt down and closed the eyes of Adria. He said a little pray for his surrogate mother. "Adria was my mother's lady-in-waiting and her closest friend" Nathaniel said. "When mother died from giving birth to Thomas, Adria raised us...she had no children of her own but we were like family to her already"

"She sounds like a wonderful woman"

Nathaniel smiled sadly. "She was and she was a woman not to be crossed either, even my father was wary of her" he said. "At least she's with the Maker…" They heard a yell from Oghren and Jenra and Nathaniel ran towards them. They were in front of a large rock blocking the way.

"Heh, what did I tell ya elf? The nose knows" Oghren said. "The Deep Roads are deeper in, so what now boss?"

"We need to call this in" Nathaniel and Velanna went back up for the sergeant while Jenra and Oghren stayed behind in case more darkspawn showed up. After an hour of waiting, Maverlies showed up and a look of amazement on her face at the party's handiwork.

"Commander" Maverlies said. "You murdered a slew of darkspawn there. I…well; you hear stories about you and the Wardens but to see it firsthand…"

"This is nothing, you should have seen us during the Blight" Oghren boasted.

"I…will take your word for it" she said. "Anyways, it looks like the explosives caved this section in. I brought along Master Voldrik…" The dwarf walked past them without acknowledging them. "Oy, dwarf where's your manners?" Voldrik Glavonak is a surface dwarf who left Orzammar long ago. He is a master stonemason and he's in charge with the reconstruction of Vigil's Keep. He is the brother of Dworkin Glavonak, the mad bomber of the Keep, he is a man of few words and known for working his people to bone due to being a perfectionist. Voldrik shook his head and scoffed.

"So this is how you humans ply your stonecraft?" he asked. "Disgraceful, a nug's sneeze could bring this down with ease"

"Oghren said that the passage connects to the Deep Roads, we need to seal of this section" Jenra said.

"We've my brother's bombs…"

"Your brother's bombs caused this problem in the first place!"

"You didn't let me finish, lass…there's too many passages to block" Voldrik said. "This is a grave matter, Warden…if we don't shut these tunnels; the darkspawn can attack from below again"

"Andraste's blood, there are basement entrances throughout the Keep, there is no way to defend against that"

"Then we follow the tunnels and hope to find a single point to block off, never you fear, lass" he said. "With the Warden's muscle and my stonecraft, we'll find a way"

"How long can you and your men clear the passage?" Jenra asked.

"It will take some time, this stone is some sturdy stuff" the dwarf said. "I'll let you know when we've cleared it" The party left the basement to let Voldrik and his men work. Once back on the surface, the party rested from their ordeal.

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Throne Room**_

Jenra was back in the throne room, he wanted to report in with Varel before heading off to bed. The Seneschal in the middle of the room being yelled at by a red-haired dwarven woman, and from the looks of it Varel wasn't able to get in a word. "Ah Commander, thank the Maker you are here…"

"Commander?" The dwarven woman turned and frowned. "You!" Jenra recognized her.

 _ **Months ago**_

 _Jenra went inside and saw Oghren scoping the place out…the dwarf then gave lecherous smirks. In the back of the pub was brown haired dwarven girl dressed in a simple dress. She was young, had to be at least a decade younger than Oghren and quite attractive for a dwarf. How a woman like her hooked up with a vulgar drunkard like Oghren was one of the world's great questions. One of the patrons' then smack her on the bottom and Felsi gave a hard right hook to the man's face…she then went back to taking orders like nothing happened. Oghren stood there with a dopey lovesick expression on his face and Jenra now understood how they got together._

" _Ain't she a beauty?" Oghren asked. "I remember when she punched me, I had bruises and a black eye for days…good times"_

" _She's something alright…"_ _Jenra sighed. "Go get her"_

" _Heh, just be ready to pry her off when she throws herself at me. We don't want to make a scene here…well, don't pry her off me too soon. I mean, a little scene's all right" Oghren rubbed his hair and checked his breath…which smelled like bad liquor and went to Felsi. Jenra stayed just in case the dwarf gets laid out on the floor. "Are you sure you're not a baker? 'Cause you've got a sodding nice set of buns" Felsi looked up and sighed in annoyance as she got up._

 _Felsi crossed her arms. "Well look was the nug dragged in…I should've known you were in the neighborhood by the stench" she said. "What are you doing here?"_

" _Just trying to kick back a pint, fighting darkspawn's a lot of sodding work, you know?"_

" _You're fighting darkspawn?" she asked unimpressed. Not a moment long and already Oghren was failing…Morrigan was right, how Oghren got with anyone when he had the charm horse manure. Jenra got up and joined Oghren._

" _This man took on an army of golems almost single-handed" Jenra said trying to keep a straight face._

" _It was a bit of a pain, but…it was a personal favor for the king of Orzammar, you understand"_

 _Felsi raised a brow. "The whole surface to choose from and you just happened to come to my tavern?"_

" _Er…well…"_

" _Tell her, it's fate" Jenra whispered to Oghren._

" _What?" Jenra quickly kicked the dwarf on the back of the leg. "Oh, right. It's fate, Felsi…what can I say?"_

 _Felsi snorted. "Fate? The ancestors must have a sense of humor, then"_

" _Sure they do! You've had a good look at Lady Helmi, haven't you? If her face isn't a joke the ancestors are playing, I'm a bronto's behind"_

" _So…Lady Helmi must be a Paragon of beauty then"_

" _Tell her you been thinking of her"_

" _I've been thinking about you, Felsi"_

 _Felsi sighed finally having enough of this back and forth. "What do you want, Oghren?" Jenra could now see that Felsi was no fool…she saw through it all, so much for helping Oghren. The dwarf was now on his own._

" _Nothin' just thought I'd see how you were doing, is all. Well, maybe that and grease up the bronto, if you know what I mean"_

" _Andraste preserve us, he's doomed" Jenra said to himself._

" _Well, you've seen me. You'll have to go back to Orzammar for the bronto" And that was that, Felsi was not interest in Oghren and Oghren personality was too repellant to change her mind. It looked like Oghren finally realized that._

" _Ah well, it's been fun, Felsi, but I better go" Felsi was surprised she had known Oghren enough to keep trying but he was just going to give up, just like that. Oghren and Jenra was about to turn and leave until Felsi spoke up._

" _Wait! You're leaving? You just got her; I haven't called you a shaft-rat yet…" Jenra was surprised he was so sure that Felsi didn't want to see Oghren again and just like she changed her mind. He could see a small smirk forming on Oghren's face almost as if he planned this part but Jenra must have been imagined it, that was giving the dwarf way too much credit._

" _Oh, you can't keep the archdemon waiting" Oghren said. "You hurt its feelings; it just might turn the whole Blight around and go home. Nobody wants that"_

" _Well… you don't need to fight it right now, do you? I mean, you could have a pint first" Felsi said. "You could call me a surly bronto, I could tell you that you smell like nug droppings…"_

 _Oghren grinned. "Sounds like a plan, you frigid deepstalker"_

 _Felsi came over and wrapped her arm around his as she smiled. "Then don't keep me waiting, you worthless copper-plated sword-caste"_

" _Wouldn't dream of it"_

 _The two dwarves walked away leaving a speechless and gob-smacked Jenra. "What…just happened?"_

 _ **Now**_

"Felsi…it's been a long time" Jenra said nervously.

Felsi narrowed her eyes at Jenra. "Don't Felsi me, Warden. Where is he? I know he's here" she said angrily. "Cough him up!"

 _ **From darkspawn to a domestic disturbance, never a dull day for the Commander! Next Time! As Always Review and Comment!**_


	21. Chapter 21: Oghren, Family Man

**Chapter 21: Oghren the Family Man**

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

"Felsi…it's been a long time" Jenra said nervously. Felsi was a member of the Merchant caste whom Oghren fell in love with in his youth, but was unable to get in a relationship because of his engagement with Branka. After Paragon Branka left to the Deep Roads with all of her House, Oghren tracked down Felsi and began a relationship with her. However it didn't last long because he was no longer the man she fell in love with. After Oghren made a scene at her father's funeral Felsi broke things off with him, and left for the surface to care for her mother. During their journey to stop the Fifth Blight, Oghren went to see her as way to tie up loose ends before the final battles. Felsi was less than pleased to see him again but either by Oghren's charm or lack thereof or the Maker's pity, the dwarf was able to rekindle that love. Until now, it would seem…

Felsi narrowed her eyes at Jenra. "Don't Felsi me, Warden. Where is he? I know he's here" she said angrily. "Cough him up!"

"Felsi, perhaps we should calm down and talk this over before we do something we're going to regret" The woman was on the warpath, she wasn't even a warrior and Felsi struck fear into the solders, the same soldiers that stood up to darkspawn. Whatever Oghren did, Jenra could only pray that his death was swift. Felsi kicked opened the door to the barracks and looked around until she left for the other rooms.

"I'll calm down when a wring that son of a nug's whore neck" she said. "Oghren, you get your hairy ass down here…"

"Hang on to your beard, woman" Oghren said. "Is this a conjugal visit?" He snickers which caused Felsi to stare daggers into the man. A lesser man would fall dead to such a glare. "Looking for Oghren to grease the old wheel?"

"Oghren, this is really a bad time to be yourself right now" Jenra said trying to hold Felsi back from killing him. "Maker's breath, this woman is as strong as an ox"

"You've done a lot of stupid things on a whim, but joining the Wardens takes it"

Oghren laughed. "Didn't you say it would be…hot?"

"We were role-playing, you absolute idiot!" Jenra shook head in disbelief; Oghren joined the order dedicated to fighting darkspawn and was condemned to die a brutal death in the Deep Roads because of foreplay. Now that Jenra thought about it, this is something the dwarf would totally do.

"Look, I didn't sign up on a whim, all right? You kicked me out"

"You were just looking for an excuse!" Felsi said. "You always do this when you want to avoid responsibility!"

"You kept trying to make me into something I'm not. I can't play house like you want me to" Oghren said. "I'm only good at one thing, Fels, and it's killing" Jenra got between before passions started to ignite, he had enough stress on his hands he didn't need two lovers killing each other.

"Maybe you two should calm down and talk this over"

"You're right about the killing part and making absolutely nug-brained decisions" Felsi said. "You had a good thing in the army, they respected you" After the Blight, Oghren settled down in Wutherford, a village near Lake Calenhad. They were happy for a time but to Felsi's dismay, he returned to the ale soon again, unable to forget his insecurities and faults. Felsi suggested Oghren join Bann Ceorlic's army and protect the Southern Bannorn. When the commanders heard that Oghren travel and battled alongside the Hero of Ferelden, they were happy to allow the dwarf into their ranks. It was strange, back in Orzammar Oghren was a laughingstock even among his own family…being a part of Bann Ceorliic's army would have given him the respect he wanted, so why would he give that up to be a warden?

Oghren sighed. "Felsi, I finally got the ol' conker on straight and I don't belong anywhere but here" Felsi took a deep breath, she wasn't angry anymore but it was replaced with something much worse…disappointment.

"Fine, Oghren, if that's what you want" she said without emotion. "The baby and I will just have to get by without you" Felsi walked and Oghren just shook his head and grumbled.

"A child? You never told me you had a child" Jenra said. Oghren grumbled. "Aren't you going to go after her?"

"I'd just end up being hit…for a tiny thing she packs a surprising wallop and in this mood she'd go straight for my danglers"

Jenra crossed his arms. "Honestly, I wouldn't blame her…you are an arse"

"I'm going to hit the sack, wake me up when we get to kill some darkspawn" Oghren walked away to his room. He fell asleep, maybe a good night's rest would clear the head. Later that night the dwarf shuffled in his sleep…he was dreaming. This should be impossible; unlike other races dwarves do not naturally enter the Fade as they do not dream and lack magical ability. In fact there is no recorded exception to their inability to learn spellcasting however they are not completely barred and may enter the Fade in exceptional circumstances. This is reflected in their resistance to magic, and accounts for their high tolerance to lyrium exposure. The world was a sickly green and in a dark miasma that prevented the dwarf from seeing. In the shadows was something large and moved like a slithering worm…it got closer and closer. Oghren had his weapon ready for the swing and stopped in horror when he found the creature had the face of Felsi. All of the sudden, he was without his axe…the Felsi-creature grabbed him and its face fell off to reveal a mass of tendrils.

Oghren woke up in a cold sweat and looked around to find he was back in his quarters. The next day, Oghren was in the mess hall with breakfast but couldn't eat. The dreams put off his appetite; he moved the plate to the side and left the mess hall. The dwarf went to the throne room where Jenra was talking to Voldrik on his status in the basement. "We should be done by this afternoon, Warden"

"Very good, any trouble while you were down there?"

"All quiet but that probably won't last long…" Voldrik said. "When you're done with the darkspawn, I would like to discuss the repairs for the keep"

"Very well, you are dismissed" Jenra sat back in his throne rubbing his forehead; he had a feeling that talk with the stonemason will be very expensive. Jenra then notices Oghren, his face was white as a ghost and it wasn't from his drinking. "You look like shite"

"I feel like it" the dwarf said. "Hey, Commander. We need to talk"

"Of course, what is troubling you?"

"Dreams…you get them?" Jenra tilted his head, why would he ask him a question he already know the answer to. "This is a Grey Warden think? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Wait, you had dreams…how?"

"The hell if I know…I just got it one day" Oghren said. "This particular dream put me off breakfast" In his dream, he saw one of the broodmothers and it had Felsi's face. "She grabbed me and long tendrils came from her mouth. I was thrown to the ground then Felsi screamed and a thousand darkspawn burst from her…"

"The darkspawn surrounded me and started talking…asking me if I would like lemon in my tea…" he said. "And could I please teach them to read and write, and one of them kept repeat: "Where's the baby?"

"That's when I woke up"

"That's…some dream, kind of wish I that back during the Blight instead of the darkspawn" Jenra said. "It sounds like you had Felsi on the mind…maybe you're starting to feel some regret" Oghren was silent for a while; the dwarven berserker was not used to having such feelings. Usually he would drink it away.

"Sod it" he said with a growl. "So its going to be one of those days…I hate those days"

"Days?"

"This isn't going to make you think any less of me, is it?" Oghren then grunts and shrugs. "Ah, who cares" he said. "When I'm not fighting or passed out drunk somewhere…I sometimes get these thoughts…thoughts I rather not have"

"Felsi and the nugget…I didn't do right by them, did I?"

"If you have to ask…"

Oghren smirked. "Blunt to the point, like a sock to the gut. I like that about you" he said. "Felsi…I think she knew even if she didn't like it that I could never settle down again"

"I did once and…well you were there" Oghren said. "Felsi's a tough old flop; she'll survive without me but the nugget…well, that's got me torn up inside. The little one won't understand"

"You know, Alistair told me of warden that have made time for their families" Jenra said. "No reason you can be a part of your child's life"

"Hmm, maybe I can visit once in a while, write some letters. That's the least I could do…as a father" The dwarf then chuckled a little. "And hey, perhaps the little on will grow up thinking daddy's a great hero"

Jenra smiled. "I'll even vouch for you"

"Oh, you…get going before I get misty eyed. Go on"

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Basement**_

Later into the afternoon, Jenra received word that the path was clear to deal with the darkspawn. The rubble was moved out of the way and in its place was constructs of wood that went straight down into the Deep Roads. To the side was Voldrik's exhausted team…they had been clearing up the rubble and constructing ladders all through the night without any rest…they looked like they were going to fall over any moment. Voldrik on the other hand looked at the handiwork with a source of pride. "Here we are. Look at her"

"Is it safe?" the sergeant said.

"Of course it is, I don't slouch when comes to building, lass"

"I'll take your word for it, good luck Commander" The party went down the ladder; Jenra brought everyone with him just in case they were met with a large horde. Captain Elias was ordered to have the Keep on high alert if the darkspawn went past them. The party went in deeper, Nathaniel held up his hand to stop the party. Trapdoors were in their way, one wrong step and they would fall into a bed of spikes. The young Howe examined the walls and doors closely to find the mechanism to the trap. He found it and disarmed the trapdoor and party went on. Along the way they fought off darkspawn but nothing more serious than scout parties.

To the left was a tunnel full of several gem clusters, with gems valuable enough to fund some of the repairs and upgrades to the Keep. Jenra made a mental note to tell Varel of this place….the party went in further to find some sort of shrine. It was not dwaven but Avvar, what the wildmen of the mountains did here was unknown to them. The walls burst open and the Avvar undead attack. Velanna froze the area and Anders shattered the undead with a crushing force of magic.

After the battle, the party came face to face with large door all the way open which lead into a larger room with a strange contraption here. "Caution Jenra, there is something weird about this room" Anders said. "The Veil is thin here….but only here, huh"

"Sure is a lot a Avvar items here, Oghren did your people have a lot of contact with the Avvar"

"Who knows, the Shaperate would know of such things" The door they came in soon closed behind them and the golden contraption in the center of the room started to spin. A greater shade appeared and attacked the party.

 _ **Next Time! As Always Review and Comment!**_


	22. Chapter 22: It Came From Beneath Act 2

**Chapter 22: It Came from Beneath Act 2**

 _And so you are defeated, by Avvar and dwarf, Bound by the blood of your people, May they hold you here forever._

 _Kiveal, nothing will hold me. These walls will rot before I expire. When they do, I shall defame your gods, call your mortal shells to serve me, and hunt down every last one of your kinsmen, Avvar and dwarf._

 _...with our warriors, unmatched in skill and strength. And here we settled, in the caves carved by the hand of Korth the Mountain-Father..._

 _Ruadan, shaman of the people, turned from the gods who had ever sheltered him. In his grief, he destroyed the gifts of the Mountain-Father and brought us low._

 _...and Ruadan pursued her. She fled into the earth and prayed to Korth to preserve her. He sent deliverance. They called themselves the dwarves, and they protected Kaelah._

 _The darkness drove him to madness but also gave him power. He turned our warriors against us. Kiveal sought out the dwarves, and together they bound Ruadan in this place._

 _...remember Kiveal. May Ruadan forever be bound here._

 _ **The Deep Roads**_

The party came face to face with large door all the way open which lead into a larger room with a strange contraption here. "Caution Jenra, there is something weird about this room" Anders said. "The Veil is thin here….but only here, huh"

"Sure is a lot a Avvar items here, Oghren did your people have a lot of contact with the Avvar"

"Who knows, only the Shaperate would know of such things" The door they came in soon closed behind them and the golden contraption in the center of the room started to spin. A greater shade appeared and attacked the party. A glyph appeared beneath the party and they found their strength wane, Anders hand glows blue and with what strength he still had left slammed it on the floor shattering the weakness glyph. The party could move now, Jenra and Oghren went after the demon while Velanna and Nathaniel gave cover fire. The shade hissed and undead Avvar attacked, Velanna coated the warriors' weapons in a roaring flame. With every swing, the undead turned to ash. Electricity swirled around the shade and a storm of lighting traveled across the ground shocked everyone except Anders who had a magical barrier up. The mage glowed blue as an explosion of energy shot from his body and erased all the magic in the area, enemy and allies alike.

The party got off the floor, ready to counter attack and the shade readies another spell. Anders then casts a mana cleanse to seal the mana of the shade, with no mana to cast spells with…the demon was open to attack. Jenra and Oghren struck with their swords and the demon disappeared in a cloud of black miasma that choked the air and blinded the party. When things became clear, the door was open and the shade was gone. "Well, that was easy…" Oghren said wiping the dust off of him.

"Hmm, too easy if you ask me" Velanna said. The party continued on through the corridors, this place was amazing…despite being abandoned and infested by darkspawn this part of the Deep Roads was well preserved. If they could find a way to prevent the darkspawn from coming back, this could be a great strategic location for the Grey Wardens. Up ahead was a small camp of darkspawn led by an ogre. Velanna and Anders cast a shockwave spell to knock down the horde, Nathaniel killed them in their weaken state while Jenra and Oghren attacked the ogre commander. The ogre charged and the warriors barely got out of the way due to the narrow corridors, Oghren sliced at the ogre's tendons to drop the giant to its knees while Jenra went for the head. The ogre swung around and smacked the dwarf into the walls while grabbing Jenra. The young lord could feel himself being crushed by the giant; Jenra gripped his sword and slashed at its eye. The ogre roared in pain as it released Jenra from its grip, while the darkspawn was off-balanced Jenra charged and went for the heart. Blood gushed from the creature's body as Jenra kept stabbing until the Ogre was dead. Jenra dropped to his knees exhausted while Oghren came over shaking his head from being smacked around.

"You couldn't just leave some for me, could ya?" Oghren asked.

Jenra chuckled tiredly. "Next time, I promise" Anders stood at attention and looked down the hall.

"Uh guys, remember that feeling I had back in that room…it's back…" The party prepared for another fight as a cloud of darkness rushed towards them. Nathaniel shot arrows at it, the arrows just passed through it. Any kind of magic and the shadow ducks down into the ground, the cloud passed the party and headed towards the fallen ogre. A chilling laugh was heard from behind as the ogre rose from the ground surround by a dark miasma.

"Looks like you get your wish after all, Oghren" The possessed ogre smashed the ground causing shards of earth to fly at the party. The mages readies a large shield of magic to block it, Oghren rushed in and slammed his axe into the ogre but instead of blood and bone the dwarf hit the ground. The possessed ogre smashed Oghren to the ground; Jenra rushed over with a purple aura surrounding him and slashed the ogre's arm clean off, the fallen arm poofs into wisps. He grabbed Oghren and retreated. "You alright?"

"Uh, sodding hell…my axe just passed through it"

"It looks like half of its body is in the Fade, swords and arrows won't hit it" Anders said. "But magic and whatever Jenra did can" Jenra nodded as he wrapped pieces of the Fade around him.

"Support me" Jenra came in while Velanna and Anders cast magic to cover him. The possessed ogre dug up the earth to keep Jenra at a distance. Roots came from the earth and held the rubble in place giving Jenra a vault to jump on. He lifted of the rubble and planted Night-fang into the specters body and cut its arm off from the shoulder. The possessed ogre roared and slammed Jenra into the ground; his sword was out of his reach as the ogre charged Jenra. Bolts of arcane energies came from the two mages and hit the ogre leaving in holes in its ghostly form. Jenra grabbed his sword and charged it with spiritual energy and impaled the ogre and slices its midsection. The ogre fell and then faded from existence as it growls faded. The party went ahead and found a hall with several large doors opened.

"Commander, the ancestors favor us indeed" The party looked back and saw Maverlies and Voldrik walking towards them.

"Apologies for being away from our post, the dwarf got curious" she said.

"Of course I'm curious, any dwarf worth their stones would be curious about our lost heritage" Voldrik said. "You found a beauty here, Commander, dwarven barrier doors " Voldrik told them the story of Kal'Hirol, a great thaig of the dwarves, long known as a center of learning for the smith caste. Named after Paragon Hirol, its workshops are he conceived his famous improvements to golem resilience and power, and where Hirol's favorite student developed a method for storing refined lyrium that is still used centuries after its conception. These breakthroughs brought Kal'Hirol great prosperity; its passageways are said to have glittered with gold and silver. This didn't last long however, as it fell like the others to the darkspawn during the First Blight.

"Before old Kal'Hirol fell, she nearly had the doors complete" he said. "Only a few insignificant mechanism needed work, if they only had time to complete it maybe Orzammar wouldn't be alone"

"This sounds very useful; can you finish what they began?" Jenra asked.

"Won't take me long" The party watched as the dwarf began work while the party watched for darkspawn, before they knew it Voldrik was done. "This is proper dwarven engineering, you stand back now" They watched as the barrier doors closed one by one with a thundering boom.

"So…how long will it hold?" Anders asked.

"Should buy us a few years, a decade if we're lucky"

"Not very reassuring…."

"Maybe so but it will give us time to devise a more permanent solution" Maverlies said. "In the meantime we'll set up traps near the doors to give us more time"

"That will have to be good enough, let's head back to the keep"

* * *

 _Outside of Ferelden, the City of Amaranthine is now synonymous with the arling herself, but before the Orlesian invasion, it was only a modest fishing village despite a deep port well-suited to commerce. At that time, few other kingdoms had any need to trade with the Fereldan "barbarians"._

 _The city changed rapidly with the Orlesians came. They built temporary docks to accommodate ships packed with chevaliers, and for a time, Amaranthine was the capital of occupied Ferelden. The bann of Amaranthine became one of the wealthiest nobles in the kingdom, as goods like wool were leeched from the city's swollen ports._

 _During the liberation, the fleeing Orlesians looted the city but left it otherwise unscarred. She recovered quickly. Ironically, Amaranthine's current prosperity is the legacy of Orlesian occupation. Do not share that opinion with the locals, mind._

 _-From Annals of Northern Ferelden, By Brother Bedine, Chantry scholar_

 _ **City of Amaranthine**_

The City of Amaranthine is the center of the Arling of Amaranthine on the coast of the Waking Sea. It is located north of Denerim and connected via the Pilgrim's Path. The City of Amaranthine also attracts many pilgrims from all over Thedas. This city is where Maferath assembled his armies to invade the Tevinter Imperium and where Andraste first revealed the Chant of Light. After securing the keep and finishing talks of the repairs and upgrades of the Keep, the party headed for the city to look into that opening in the Deep Roads. Nathaniel breathed deeply and sighed contentedly, it was nice to smell the sea of his home. "It's nice to be home, after all these years"

Jenra walked up beside him. "I've been meaning to ask, you said you have been in Ferelden only recently" he said. "Where were you before?"

"I was Starkhaven in the Free Marches, training as a knight errant while studying at the university" Nathaniel said. "It was preparation for when it was time to rule after my father, but it seems destiny had…other plans" Jenra was surprised by this, back when Rendon Howe was still thought as a friend of his family Rendon would often talk about Delilah and Thomas. Howe had plans for his children, he was going to marry off Delilah to Jenra and there was talk that Thomas was to succeed his father, it was strange that Rendon never talked about his oldest child.

"Have you been able to contact your siblings?" Jenra asked.

"I've been receiving letters from Delilah, she's here in Amaranthine" Nathaniel said. "I wish to see her when we're not killing darkspawn…as for Thomas…he died during the Blight, I never got to give him his rites"

"I'm sorry for your loss"

"What's done is done, the best I can do is ensure the last of my family survives" The party headed for the hunting guild in the middle of the city. They found the guild was in the middle of a big bar fight…apparently this was common for this particular guild; they acted like a bunch of drunken tavern thugs than great hunters. A table was thrown and crashed through the window.

Oghren smirked. "My kind of people"

"You sure your captain gave us the right place?" Velanna asked. "I doubt they could remember anything from their drinking and concussion"

Jenra sighed. "Then we will have to ask around then" he said. He came to brown haired man that just finished breaking a glass over someone. "Excuse me, you know where I can find Colbert" The hunter then turned around and punched Jenra without warning…it was going to be one of those days.

 _ **Never a dull day…Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	23. Chapter 23: Last of the Legion pt1

**Chapter 23: Last of the Legion pt1**

 _ **The Grand Ursa Lodge-City of Amaranthine**_

The party headed for the hunting guild in the middle of the city. Once inside they found the guild was in the middle of a big bar fight…apparently this was common for this particular guild; they acted like a bunch of drunken tavern thugs than great hunters. The Grand Ursa Lodge got its start as the Great Bear mercenary company in 4:00 Black when werewolves plagued the lands of Ferelden, their exploits were legendary among the people of Northern Ferelden. Soon after the werewolf threat was over, mercenary band dissolve due to internal strife but one of the members settled in Amaranthine and started the hunting guild. It used to be that gaining membership into the guild was worthy of prestige but those glory days are long gone. A table was thrown and crashed through the window beside them as sounds of yelling and glass breaking was heard. The smell of blood and alcohol was strong in the air.

Oghren smirked. "My kind of people"

"You sure your captain gave us the right place?" Velanna asked. "I doubt they could remember anything from their drinking and concussions"

Jenra sighed. "Then we will have to ask around then" he said. He came to brown haired man that just finished breaking a glass over someone. "Excuse me, you know where I can find Colbert" The hunter then turned around and punched Jenra without warning…it was going to be one of those days. The young lord dodged the punched and grabbed the drunken hunter's arm and held him down.

"I'm not here to fight, I need information" Unknown to Jenra however was another hunter with a chair ready to hit the young lord; Oghren ran up and punched the man in the gut. "Huh?! I did not see him there, thank you Oghren"

"Don't thank me just yet boss…" Jenra got off the floor and saw that they had gotten the attention of the guild. The dwarf gave a gleeful grin. "Fun's just starting" They attacked the party and they defended themselves. A man came at Jenra with a broken liquor bottle, the young lord dodged and countered with a right hook. Oghren ran to the table and jumped off of it and into the middle of crowd…the dwarf started laughing as he started to pummel the guild members. Nathaniel was fighting off several of the guild members was relative ease, his training with Ser Rodolphe Varley of the Free Marches had paid off. Several thugs surrounded Velanna, the elven woman was preparing a spell until Nathaniel defeated them before she could finish.

"I could have handled them, shemlen"

"And you could have brought the entire building around our ears" Nathaniel said. "Oh, you're welcome by the way" Velanna struck with her staff and hit the man behind Nathaniel and knocked him out.

"Perhaps you should worry about yourself before lecturing me" Velanna said walking away.

Nathaniel chuckled. "Noted, M'lady" The brawl continued until a large deep yell was here from above…once that was heard the guild members all stood at attention. Above in the loft was an old man but he was large and rugged with many scars on his face, he was missing an eye and an arm but his presence was strong and a little intimidating. He came down the stairs inspecting the damage as the members looked on nervously.

"I see you idiots have destroyed my lodge again, who started it?" he asked. One of the men came forward and the guild master quickly grabbed him and head-butted his face. "Clean this up now" The guild members quickly got to work on their master's orders, as they cleaned up he spotted the party. "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Jenra Warden-Commander of Vigil's Keep; I came to speak to some hunters about darkspawn"

"I had heard Amaranthine was getting a new lord, I just didn't think he would be so puny" the master said. "Well, whatever let us just hope you'll do a better job than Howe" Nathaniel looked uncomfortable…even his people hated his father. They came up to the loft to speak privately, Colbert and Micah was away on a hunting journey but they told the guild master what happened. While on the hunt, Colbert and Micah fell into a pit in the Knotwood Hills and were ignored by a horde of darkspawn. The guild master went to the draw and took out a map they drew up; Jenra checked it and found that the pit they fell in was the entrance to the Deep Roads. The party then left for Knotwood Hills.

* * *

 _ **Knotwood Hills**_

Western Amaranthine is infamous for being inhospitable and barren, in striking contrast to the fertile farmland of the rest of the Arling of Amaranthine. The violent rock slides on the craggy slopes of the Knotwood Hills have claimed untold lives over the years; there are also stories of sinkholes appearing in ground that seemed stable moments before. The locals believe that a section of the Deep Roads runs under the hills which are in fact true. The Hills are on top of old tunnels which are leading to the Great thaig of Kal'Hirol. However the structural integrity of those tunnels is rapidly deteriorating. Few men are brave enough, or foolish enough, to investigate the truth. Knotwood Hills was as dreary and depressing as the stories have said, the sky was a bleak yellow-grey covered in a dense fog. The landscape was littered with either dead trees or ugly thorny weeds; the only creatures that seemed to thrive here were the deepstalkers feasting on the foolish souls that have lost their lives here. Not soon after arriving to this wasteland, the ground collapsed underneath them revealing a long way down.

"Everyone watch your footing here" Nathaniel said.

"Hey, anyone hear that?" Oghren asked. "Sounds like we're not alone"

"For some reason, this Maker-forsaken place attracts treasure hunters hoping to find a great haul here" The young Howe said. "If I had known we would be coming here, I would have brought more supplies" The party continued on up the hill, the wind started blowing and they could smell blood in the air. Up ahead they saw a man in plain clothes swinging from a tree with a deep stab wound in his gut. Beneath the tree was two men in armor, one of them was holding a bloodied dagger in his hand...their victim was freshly killed. They got out their weapons and attacked.

"We can't have anyone telling people what we did!" Jenra and Oghren charged in, knocking the arrows out of the air and slammed the two men against the wall. The warriors slammed their weapons down and ended the men's lives. Nathaniel came to the hung corpse and saw there was a note nailed into the body. Apparently the man that was hung was accused of adultery.

"Ugh…them"

"Who?" Jenra asked.

"A group of vigilantes who call themselves the Hangmen" Nathaniel said. "They are deluded fools who believe they are fighting for justice but in reality they're a bunch of thugs and murders"

"I thought my father had gotten rid of them all, but I guess the remnants went underground" The party continued on and crossed the bridge in front of them. From the looks of things, people had tried to turn this place into a mining area and had soon abandoned the area either because of the danger or there was nothing here. They went down the stairs which led into the Deep Road ruins; they soon heard a hiss and screech as the ground rumbles.

Deepstalkers came out the ground and attacked them; Velanna cast a frost spell to slow down the deepstalkers. Nathaniel shot the small creatures in the head while Jenra and Oghren shattered the frozen creatures. The team continued on, at the fork in path they spotted several darkspawn. Two of them were dragging someone, a dwarven woman in black armor with dark tattoos on her face…there was only one reason darkspawn the darkspawn was keeping her alive, they were going to make her into a broodmother. The woman saw the party and then started to struggle, as the Hurlock turned to keep her quiet, the dwarf grabbed a rock and threw it at it's head. She got free, ran for her fallen axe and faced them down. Velanna cast a ice wall to separate the darkspawn allowing Nathaniel to pick off the darkspawn behind the wall.

Jenra and Oghren went to help the dwarven woman; they cut through the three in front. The dwarven woman slammed her axe into the knee of the Hurlock and then into its head. She dodged the blow of the genlock and kicked the darkspawn back and then lounged for the head. When the last darkspawn fell, the dwarven woman walked towards the party.

"Hoo, well…that was…close. Thought I really was about to join the Legion of the Dead there"

"Are you alright?" Jenra asked.

"I might have cracked a rib…or two, everything hurts so hard to be sure" she said. "Thanks by the way, if you didn't arrive when you did may have become a broodmother" She then turned towards the Deep Road's entrance. "Thanks for the help; I'll take it from here"

"You're really not going in your condition, are you?" Nathaniel asked.

"Got to, as foolish as that sounds…it's too important" she said. "Something is going on in the old fortress of Kal'Hirol, I think the darkspawn are breeding an army" The party was shocked to hear this, broodmothers gave birth to darkspawn at a rapid rate…it's the reason they took over the Deep Roads. Could the Architect be behind this? "The Legion went to investigate, but Kal'Hirol proved too much for us…it was a massacre and I…I'm the only survivor"

"The darkspawn have changed somehow, they're smart and acting without an Archdemon" the dwarven woman said. "I saw them taking some of the women, and I'm so glad I'm not a part of that"

"Then our interests are in alignment" Jenra said. "The Grey Wardens will fight for you and avenge the Legion"

"The Wardens, huh? My condolences...well let's not waste time, Kal'Hirol awaits" she said. "Oh by the way, my name is Sigrun"

"Jenra and this is Nathaniel, Velanna and…"

Oghren pushed Jenra out of the way, spat in his and slicked his hair. He gave Sigrun one of his signature lecherous smirks. "So…come here often?"

"No…I've never been this close to the surface" she said. "It smells different…then again it could just be you"

"Well, you're welcome to come with me anytime…a-ny-time"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"The name's Oghren, by the way…but the ladies pronounce it 'Ohhh-ghren"

Jenra shook his head and pulled the dwarf back by the collar. "You'll have to forgive my friend, he's delusional and lacks home-training" With introduction out of the way, the party went down to Kal' Hirol.

* * *

 _Paragon Hirol was born a warrior. He excelled at arms and strategy, but was not content. Hirol believed he was born outside the caste system, able to be anything he chose-a warrior, a smith, even a noble. He would not rest until he'd mastered the art of war, the art of smithing, and the art of rule._

 _He was eccentric, maybe even mad. Some said he'd taken too many blows to the head in the Provings. Yet Hirol accomplished what he set out to do. He trained under the greatest smiths and the greatest warriors, and his achievements in both fields were so great that the Assembly could not help but make him a Paragon. Thus noble House Hirol was born._

 _-From the writings of Shaper Ezerain_

The party made it to the gates and looked in awe…even Oghren took a break from his flirting to take in the sight. "I don't know much about Kal'Hirol, except what my brothers and sisters from the Legion told me. It used to be important, a center of learning for the smith caste" Sigrun said. "When the fortress was lost, a lot of knowledge was lost with is…and there never been anything like Kal'Hirol since" She then spotted a dwarven man crawling on the ground heavily injured, her eyes went wide. "Jukka!" She ran down the hill with the party following close.

 _ **What secrets does the old fortress holds? Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	24. Chapter 24: Last of the Legion pt2

**Chapter 24: Last of the Legion pt2**

 _The fortress of Kal'Hirol was established by Paragon Hirol and became known as a center of learning for smiths. Its workshops are where Paragon Hirol conceived his famous improvements to golem resilience and power, and where Hirol's favorite student developed a method for storing refined lyrium that is still used today._

 _These breakthroughs brought Kal'Hirol great prosperity, its passageways glittering with gold and silver. For decades, the thaig was the favored home of apprentice smiths. Unfortunately, as time wore on, only the richest could afford to train there._

 _When the darkspawn came, Kal'Hirol was among the first of the great thaigs to fall. Our people still mourn the loss.—From the writings of Shaper Ezerain_

 _ **Kal'Hirol-The Gates**_

The party made it to the gates and looked in awe…even Oghren took a break from his flirting to take in the sight. "I don't know much about Kal'Hiol, except what my brothers and sisters from the Legion told me. It used to be important, a center of learning for the smith caste" Sigrun said. "When the fortress was lost, a lot of knowledge was lost with is…and there never been anything like Kal'Hirol since" She then spotted a dwaven man crawling on the ground heavily injured, her eyes went wide. "Jukka!" She ran down the hill with the party following close, the dwarf was heavily bloodied…how he was even still moving was a miracle of the Maker. His breathing was shallow and his legs were crushed beyond recognition.

"S…Sigrun…?" Jukka inquired weakly.

"Yes, it's me, try not to talk"

"Maker, he's in bad shape…the Legion is made of tough stuff" Nathaniel said.

Oghren nodded. "They have to be, they give up whatever life they had in Orzammar to spend the rest of their lives fighting the darkspawn" he said. "All so they and their families can have a place among the ancestors in the Stone"

"Is he Legion also?" Jenra asked.

"Yes, I didn't expect to find anyone this far in…do you have healing herbs?" Nathaniel came up and took off his bag. He handed Sigrun bottles of health poultices, as she went to help her friend…Jukka just gently pushed her hand aside. "But Jukka…"

"I feel my death upon me, Sigrun and it is a sweet release…" the dwarf said. "Listen before my light fades…the…the broodmothers, they are breeding. I saw a…an army. You…you must…stop them"

"But…but beware the Children, they are abominations…even among darkspawn…"

"What…what children? Whose children?"

"Forgive me…" Jukka gave one last gasps before dropping to the ground, his eyes lifeless and staring at nothing. Sigrun could only sigh sadly as she shut his eyes; everyone in the Legion knew what they were getting into when they took on the oath of the Legion…but that didn't mean the deaths became any easier.

"Ancestors look kindly on you, brother…" Sigrun prayed. "We need to finish this for the Legion, the broodmothers must die"

Jenra nodded. "Then let us hurry" The party left the fallen Jukka, it pained Jenra not to give the brave warrior a proper burial but time was of the essence. It was not soon before the darkspawn attacked…no whispers in the warden's head, just like the night on Vigil's Keep. They would have to be very careful this time; their warden senses would not help them here. The darkspawn had the party surrounded and Velanna casts a repulsion glyph around them to push back the hordes. Nathaniel rapidly shot the genlocks in the head while Jenra, Oghren and Sigrun took on the shrieks. In the distance arrows were shot from the plateau, Velanna summoned a giant wall of rock to block the arrows and then with great effort pushed the wall to crush the darkspawn archers. Hurlock alphas came to reinforce the horde; Nathaniel tossed a flask of oil in front of the alphas and then lit it aflame. Some burned when they tried to cross but others tried to go around the flame allowing the young Howe to pick them off one by one.

After the battle was done, the party headed to the gates of Kal'Hirol. The fortress looked even more formidable up close, maybe what Voldrik said was true…if Kal'Hirol still stood how better off would the dwarves underground be? A question for the ages…Sigrun sighed as they approached. "We got this far with few troubles; we got careless and complacent and stormed the main entrance, up those stairs" she said. "A fucking disaster that was, the darkspawn was waiting for us. Somehow they gained the knowledge to use the fortress' old defenses and turn it against us"

"Wonderful…traps, just what we needed" Velanna said crossing her arms. "So what are we to do, dwarf?"

"We learn from our mistakes, avoid the main door" Sigrun said. "Most of the old dwarven fortresses had hidden side entrances, chances are this one has one too…we just need to find it" As the party searched for the entrance, they could hear the wet smacking of flesh and the crackle of bones…as if someone or something was devouring a corpse nearby. "By the Stone! Wha…what is that?!" The creature they were looking at was horrifying; it had the deformed face of an infant but the body of insect larva crawling on multiple little legs. There it was not just devouring the bodies of a fallen legionnaire but also the corpse of its brethren. It turned around and spotted the party and made the most unholiest of sounds…an inhuman shriek mixed with a wail that sounded disturbingly like a child's cry. From the ground, more and more the creatures appeared and surrounded the party.

"Why would we suddenly be seeing new forms of darkspawn? This isn't even Blight" Nathaniel said. One of the Children tackled Jenra to the ground; its mouth revealed a gigantic serrated maw of fangs aimed for his neck. The young lord struggled to get the creature off of him, Oghren came and slices into the Child's back. Jenra tossed the dead darkspawn aside and got up. Sigrun smashed one of the Children into the wall while Nathaniel got some distance and fired off some arrows. Velanna impaled several of them with thorns while Oghren chopped them in half with his axe. Jenra killed the last batch of Children with his blood claws and the party continued on.

"So those are the Children Jukka was talking about…just when you think you know everything about the darkspawn, they throw this at you" Sigrun said. She examined the walls on the side and noticed a notch on the grooves of the engravings. The wall in front of them went down to reveal a new path.

Oghren smirked. "Secret doors, useful for sneaking out without the wife noticing" Near them was an old lift that could get them down below. Nathaniel checked the stability of them lift and nodded to them when it was safe. They headed down to the fortress.

* * *

 _2 Pluitanis: More southern thaigs have fallen. Varen Thaig and Kal'Barosh are overrun. Four thousand lives lost. The darkspawn are almost at the gates of Kal'Hirol. The fortress must be evacuated._

 _4 Pluitanis: There will be an exodus to Orzammar. Many nobles are appalled, Orzammar being a trade city so close to the surface. They fear losing their stone sense to the surface vapours-a ridiculous notion. But Orzammar is the easiest to defend._

 _7 Pluitanis: Scouts have sighted the horde. It is vast. To outrun the darkspawn, the commanders say we must leave now with nothing beyond bare essentials._

 _7 Pluitanis (addendum): I have volunteered to remain behind with a contingent of men. We'll hold off the darkspawn so others can escape. Ancestors have mercy._

 _9 Pluitanis: The casteless are still here, forgotten in the panic. They are 500 strong. If even half can be inspired to fight, they'll make an army. There is a chance-a small chance-that this will make the difference._

 _10 Pluitanis: Two hundred men and women. Ancestors grant that 200 are enough._

 _15 Pluitanis: The darkspawn have pushed us back to the inner keep. Only a handful of us survive, but we've held them back five days. We could not have done this without the casteless-no, not casteless. To call them "casteless" would be a mistake. Their sacrifice must not be forgotten.-Memento of the Fallen_

 _ **Kal'Hirol-Main Hall**_

The party made it inside the fortress and saw dead darkspawn everywhere they looked. The traps of Kal'Hirol spread even here, they were very careful to not trigger the traps. Throughout the fortress were these strange orange root-like constructs, it was different than the usual darkspawn corruption. "This stuff looks like Felsi's First Day festival stew…girl's got her strengths but cooking is not one of them"

Sigrun tilted her head. "Who's Felsi?"

"Oghren's ex-wife…well second ex-wife" Jenra said. "Trust me, it is a very long story"

"Ugh, those poor women" Sigrun said. "Deepstalkers have more charm"

Oghren then came beside Sigrun. "But none of my prowess…so what are you doing tonight?"

"Sleeping. Alone. With a knife under my pillow apparently" she said dryly.

Oghren snickers. "Hot"

"Honestly what is the point of this flirting? Even if I was remotely interested, I'm in the Legion of the Dead. Nothing between us will last"

"Exactly! All the fun, none of the commitment!"

Sigrun groaned. "How the Wardens let you of all people into their ranks, I will never know"

"I didn't recruit him" Jenra said. The party could hear the roars of darkspawn up ahead. "But that's neither here or there, look alive people" The party engaged the darkspawn; Velanna took one wrong step and streams of flames shot from the walls. The party ducked as the flames hit the darkspawn. This was going to be tricky…the traps were helping them out but they were also making it hard to fight, in addition to fighting in such tight corridors. Oghren smashed the darkspawn against a wall of spikes while Nathaniel shot the emissary in the head before it could finish a spell. Velanna tapped the ground with her staff and caused a quake under the darkspawn and then impaled them with roots.

When battle ended, the party continued down the main hall where they heard the sound of clashing swords and yelling. Apparitions appeared before them…dwarves fighting a desperate battle against what they presumed to be darkspawn. And then the apparitions disappeared, clearing the way. Sigrun came forward and was in awe. "I…I've never seen anything like this before. They say the memories of the Stone are forever…is this what they mean?" The party walked forward and saw the apparitions reappear this time they were standing and listening to another apparition above them.

" _For generations, they have told you were nothing, swept you away like so much dust" it said. "Now you are the only thing standing between them and the darkspawn that threaten our empire!"_

" _Show them that you are not nothing! Show them that you can be warriors!" The apparition raised its hand. "Let the Stone tremble with the thunder of your footsteps! Fight!"_ The apparitions yelled and raised their arms as they disappeared.

"I see now…"

"Sigrun?" Jenra asked.

"The casteless here, they fought bravely to ensure the darkspawn never reach Orzammar" she said. "The nobles look down on them and yet they died to save their ungrateful lives…they owe the casteless so much" The party continued forward and more apparitions appeared, not warriors but civilians.

" _They're gone! Everyone's gone! They've abandoned the thaig!" it said. "We have to follow them! I'm not going to sit here and get eaten by those monsters!"_

" _But this is our home! We can't survive out there"_

" _We won't survive in here…"_

"Despite the courageous efforts of the warriors and casteless here to fight back…it wasn't enough" Sigrun said sadly. "Kal'Hirol soon fell and the other thaigs with it afterwards" The apparitions appeared once again to show the warriors of Kal'Hirol fighting and then dying one by one. Then there was silence and then a growl.

"Ignore the shadows, they do not harm! Kill the intruders!"

 _ **As the past reveals itself, the present attacks! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	25. Chapter 25: Last of the Legion pt3

**Chapter 25: Last of the Legion pt3**

 _ **Kal'Hirol-Main Hall**_

The darkspawn fell and the party was on their knees…the intelligent darkspawn were on a different level the ordinary darkspawn, its intelligence made even a simple fight that much harder. "That darkspawn just talked…and fought as if an Archdemon was leading it" Sigrun said. "What is going on here, Warden?"

"There is a darkspawn called The Architect, we believe it is changing the darkspawn" Jenra explained. "And it has an interest in the Grey Wardens"

"Why Grey Wardens?"

"I hoping to find some kind of answers here" The party continued on and in a large room, apparitions started to appear, they were fighting each other. From the looks of this room, this must have a sparring room…they were preparing for the darkspawn attack on the fortress. In the next room were apparitions in the shape of women.

" _Mother! You can't leave me here!"_

" _Watch your little brother, keep him quiet"_

" _Mother, please! You don't know how to fight"_

" _Oh, I've been in my share scrapes over the years"_ The smaller apparition went to its knees sobbing and pleading for the other apparition but the larger one simply place its hand on the smaller ones shoulder. _"Chin up, girl. Someone must fend off the darkspawn. Dailan says that if we do, the…the ancestors will look kindly upon us and…forgive us"_

"Hmm, Kal'Hirol was more desperate than I thought…even non-warriors joined in the fighting" Oghren said.

"Funny how the caste doesn't matter when your seconds away from death" Sigrun said. More apparitions appeared before them as they continued.

" _These weapons were taken from the armories of Kal'Hirol. I ask only for volunteers who would rather die fight than give in"_ Another apparition stepped forward and angrily pointed at the apparition before it.

" _Sod off! You people left us for dead!"_

" _Yeah! We should just take you weapons and kill you instead!"_

" _Then you will go to your graves knowing that you murdered the one person who thought you worthy to bear arms for Kal'Hirol!"_ _it said. "Do you want that? Or do you want to prove your worth?"_

Sigrun scoffed. "Typical caster…wants a fucking prize for treating us like people" she said. "Give me a break" The group of apparitions disappeared and two were left.

" _Those bastards left us behind and he wants us to fight to defend their escape?"_

" _We're going to die anyway; Dailan is giving us a chance to prove we're not worthless"_

" _You're full of sod, duster. Some of us are going to try to make it to the surface, you in?"_

" _No, I'm going to do something right for once in my life"_

"The darkspawn wasn't the only thing responsible for the fall of Kal'Hirol it seems…" Velanna said. "Division makes you weaker; we elves know that better than anyone"

"I don't blame the deserters though…when you've been treated like trash by your own people for your whole life; it's so easy to say to hell with them all"

"And yet your with the Legion, fighting for Orzammar" Nathaniel said.

"I'm not fighting for Orzammar, I'm fighting for my fellow dusters" she said. "If it wasn't for the fact that if Orzammar falls, my friends and family falls with them I would have left them to the darkspawn" The party continued on, their path was impeded by the blighted spiders that made the thaig home but they were child's play compared to the darkspawn that came up farther. After the battles, the party made it to a large gate…in dwarven the gate said Trade Quarter.

* * *

 _ **Kal'Hirol-Trade Quarter**_

The Trade Quarter of Kal'Hirol is where the thaig once had its treasury, as well as a shrine to the Paragon Hirol. The party came down the stairs and saw an incredible sight…it was darkspawn but they were killing one another. During a Blight only an Archdemon can command the entire darkspawn horde. Alphas serve as the commanders and generals of the darkspawn while omegas are "second-in-command" to the Archdemon. The strongest alphas and omegas receive direct orders from the Archdemon itself. Emissaries ensure that darkspawn follow the Archdemon's will and those alphas serve the Archdemon's interests and not their own. When there is no Blight, the darkspawn remain underground except for raids. When there isn't an Archdemon to direct the darkspawn, the "chain of command" within the communal mind of the darkspawn breaks down, with individual alphas and omegas assuming a sort of leadership position as "tyrants", splitting the horde amongst themselves and fighting for dominance. Emissaries ensure that darkspawn search for the Archdemons outside of a Blight.

Or so they thought, this didn't feel like a struggle for leadership…it felt like a clash of two warring clans for superiority. Up ahead an intelligent darkspawn came forward after killing its own. "Press the attack! Go!" it said. "The Lost is mine" The intelligent darkspawn walked away while those under its command hunted down the broken stragglers. The party went on ahead and followed the talking darkspawn for it knew where the broodmothers were…what that darkspawn said, something about the lost where another batch of intelligent darkspawn that they aren't aware of? The thought of there being two groups of these talking darkspawn was disturbing. Up ahead there were more fighting among the darkspawn, the party avoided them and continued to follow the talking darkspawn.

"I don't like it down here…it's dark and heavy" Velanna said. "It feels like a deep pit that will never let you go"

"Heh brings back memories of my first expedition" Oghren said.

"Shh! If you are so intent on announcing our arrival to the darkspawn, maybe you should've brought a horn" Sigrun said. "Be on your guard…come on, come on move those feet" Path up ahead was filled with the Taint's corruption, a darkspawn fell in front them and was ripped to shred by one of the Children. After it finished devouring the darkspawn, it started to convulse and it spouted legs from its back as it grew larger. It faced the party and growled as it attacked. With its new legs, the child was faster it swiped at Oghren and the dwarf slashed its legs and then chopped the head. The quarter echoed with the sound of inhuman growls…more children came. Two of them leapt the party spitting a corrosive spit that ate at the walls; Nathaniel jumped back and fired a flurry of fire arrows at the children. Velanna summons a blizzard to freeze the surrounding children so Sigrun and Jenra could shatter them. When the last one fell, the party continued on into a narrow path full of grotesque growths hanging on the wall. The growths started to squirm as green ooze leaked out of it…Jenra's eyes went wide from the revelation, the growths were egg sacs. And the egg sacs were hatching…there were too many to count and too many to handle.

"We need to run…now!" The party ran straight through the tunnel as the egg sacs burst revealing the Children, the creatures were hungry and had a taste for flesh. They chased the party to the end of the tunnels…Velanna turned and struck the ground; spires of ice shot out of the ground and skewered the children. The children crawled over its fallen brethren to get to the party; Nathaniel threw flasks of oil on the ground and lit it on fire. The elf summoned a wall of ice to block the passage and the party could hear the dying shrieks of the children.

"We're not getting out through there…" Sigrun said. The dwarf's eyes went wide. "By the stone…" The room they were in was full of eggs sacs; they stretched for miles deep underground.

"Kal'Hirol stretches throughout Amaranthine…if all of the eggs were to hatch…" Nathaniel said.

"Amaranthine would be overrun, and then they would spread to Ferelden" Jenra said. "We're still recovering from the Blight, there's no way we could fight this" There was only one path ahead, the lowest reaches of Kal'Hirol.

* * *

 _The Children appear to be twisted mutations of darkspawn. They have set even hurlocks, genlocks, and ogres to fleeing. The monsters appear first as childer grubs, gruesome larval creatures that wriggle on the ground. This is the only vulnerable stage of their development. To squish them is to do the world a favour._

 _When grubs devour the flesh of slain darkspawn, a dramatic change occurs. To a sound of tearing flesh, legs emerge. The childer can now run down its prey with startling speed. Upon gorging itself again, the childer transforms further, developing spindly limbs tipped with spikes that skewer prey. These foul creatures are the progeny of a mysterious broodmother about who little is known._

 _ **Kal'Hirol-Lower Reaches**_

The party reached the lowest reaches of Kal'Hirol…from the looks of the statues and the faded gold on the columns, this used to be the noble quarter for the thaig similar to the Diamond Quarter in Orzammar. Now it was a decrepit ruin full of death and the corruption of the darkspawn. "This place has seen better days…" Nathaniel said.

"Wow, the Deep Roads are darker than I remember them" Oghren said.

"Shush! You hear that?" Velanna asked. In the distance the party could hear heavy thuds, with every step they took the thuds got louder and the ground shook. They got to the center room and saw the talking darkspawn from earlier and it was facing a gigantic golem. Centuries ago, during the dwarven empire's golden age, dwarves commanded vast armies of golems. Golems guarded the thaigs and patrolled every branch of the Deep Roads. As men of steel and stone, they were eternal, indestructible, and perfectly obedient.

But Paragon Hirol was not satisfied. He wanted Kal'Hirol's golems to be greater. In his forge, he gave them hearts like furnaces that would burn evermore. Thus became the inferno golems, with eyes that burned and veins coursing with molten lava.

One punch was all that it took to bring the darkspawn to its knees, the inferno golem then picked up the darkspawn as another darkspawn with a staff approached. It growled in contempt at its brethren. "The Architect sends many but does not come…he is a coward!" it said. "I will kill you and he will know his failure to destroy the Lost. He will know that Mother will tear him apart" With a groan, the giant golem using its brute strength ripped the captive darkspawn in half…one could almost feel sorry for it if it wasn't for the fact it was a darkspawn.

"Uh, Cousland? It's looking at us…" Nathaniel said. The darkspawn was not looking at them but pass them…that was when Jenra realized the darkspawn was blind and was using the Taint to see in a way.

"Who comes now? I can feel you, but you are no darkspawn. What trickery is he planning?" it said with a growl. "You will die, as all who serve the Architect will die! The Mother demands it!" The golem launched a punch at the party, they ducked out of the way…the path they came in was blocked by rubble. The Lost cast a spell and dark flame shot out of its staff, the party were separated divided by a wall of fire. Sigrun and Jenra faced down the Lost while Oghren, Nathaniel and Velanna fought the inferno golem.

"Look there, Warden! A control rod is part of the darkspawn's staff" Sigrun said. "We break it and the golem will stop moving" Sigrun and Jenra charged the darkspawn, the Lost slammed down its staff and dark tendrils erupted from the floor to bind the two warriors. Jenra formed his spirit cloak and tore off the tendrils…he cut the other tendril to free Sigrun. Meanwhile Velanna and Nathaniel gave cover to Oghren so the dwarf could find a chink in the golem's armor. The golem slammed the ground creating pools of lava that impeded movement. The heat of the lava was a lot to bear but they held on…they had to; the party could not afford to fail here.

 _ **A darkspawn civil war…bad news for everyone! Next Time! Review and Comment!**_


	26. Chapter 26:Last of the Legion-Aftermath

**Chapter 26: Last of the Legion-Aftermath**

 _ **Kal'Hirol-Lower Reaches**_

"Watch out!" The party jumped out of the way as rubble fell…the golem went into a frenzy attacking everything in sight. When the Lost was defeated and the control rod was crushed, the party thought the golem would cease moving but it went berserk. Its armor glow a brilliant white as the golem grew hotter and hotter to the point of evaporating the waters around them. The party wouldn't last long; Velanna cast a great blizzard spell to slow it down but all it did was cover the area in a thick blanket of steam.

"Cousland we need a plan, this isn't working" Nathaniel said. The young Howe reached into his quiver…he was almost out of arrows.

"I know we cannot touch the golem" Jenra said. "We'll have to bury it" He looks at Velanna. "Velanna, crack the earth"

"Are you mad, human?!" Velanna asked. "If I do that, I could bring the rubble around our ears!"

"We'll have to risk it, go…we give you time" The party rushed the golem, while the elf prepared herself. She reached deep inside herself for the well of mana for he spell…she's never had to push her magic this much before. It was frightening and a little exciting. She opened her eyes, it glowed green as the elf raised her staff and slammed it to the ground. The area shook loudly as the ground cracked with green energy, the party stepped back as the cracks grew more and more jagged. The golem approached Velanna and the elf raised her arm and shattered the earth, the golem started to sink into the ground.

The golem tries to grab the elf but roots and thorns shot from the ground and held the golem in place with the earth swallowed it whole. When it was done, Velanna dropped to her knees …using that much power exhausted her. "it is done…the golem will continue to fall through the earth…possibly forever"

"Good job, Velanna" Jenra said.

"We're lucky human, that spell could have easily gone wrong"

"I trust in your abilities" When Velanna was fully rested the party continued on, the path became more and more corrupted with every step. The ground shook underneath them, and tentacles shot out of the ground almost impaling them.

"They know we're getting closer to them" Sigrun said. "A last desperate attempt to stop us"

"Everyone, watch your step" The party came to the center of the depths, more tentacles shot up and party cut them down. In the center was a large gorge, the party could hear the sound of the broodmothers…they were below.

"I…I'm afraid to look too closely. What if one of those creatures was someone I once knew?" Sigrun asked.

"Steel yourself, Sigrun…they are not your friends anymore" Jenra said.

The dwarf sighed. "You are right…" she said. "Look there, a lyrium well we drop it on the broodmothers, it will end it" Jenra nodded and cut the first chain…the well screeched and rumble as it started to swing. "Three more to go…" The party continued on severing the chains that kept the lyrium well suspended, for every chain they cut more and more tentacles attacked with more frequency. This was all the broodmothers could do as their last line of defense before death came. The final chain was cut and the lyrium well fell on to the broodmothers, with all that shaking the lyrium inside was volatile. When the well burst open the room shook from the explosion that took place…the party looked down and saw the broodmothers were all dead incased in molten lyrium as a final macabre monument.

"We did it…if the rest of the Legion were alive; I know…I know they would honor you in some way" Sigrun said. "Its funny, I used to wish I could get away from the others…but now I'm alone and I just want them back"

"Trust me, I very much know how you feel" Jenra said. "What will you do, after this?"

"There are other groups of the Legion I could join up with but it wouldn't be the same" she said. "So I think I'll join up with the Wardens, if you'll have me"

"We'll be happy to have you, but you should know that there are risks to becoming a Warden"

Sigrun smirks. "Well, it's a good thing I already had my funeral then" Jenra was taken aback; he's not heard anyone be so nonchalant about possible death. Then Sigrun grew serious. "What's curious is that we seemed to be caught between two factions of darkspawn. Never heard of such a thing"

"They are vicious by nature and have always fought amongst each other but there have never been a record of organized factions" she said. "This is something new…"

"Agreed, it worries me"

"Glad it's not just me then, this war between this Mother and Architect can't be good for anyone else" Sigrun said. "Well let's get going…the darkspawn won't kill themselves" The party left Kal'Hirol.

* * *

 _ **Unknown**_

In an unknown ruin, screams of rage could be heard as tentacles lashed wildly destroying old statues and even some egg-sacs. The darkspawn feared very little but they feared the Mother's fits of rage. It is unknown who the Mother was before she became a broodmother; however there are some hints about how she was transformed: the darkspawn forced her to devour her own family during the process. She was of new breed of darkspawn; the call of the Old Gods no longer shackles her and her children. But unlike the Architect and his followers rather than embrace it, it enraged her and drove her to madness. And in that rage, the Mother declared war on the Architect and she will not stop until she makes him suffer.

"Kal'Hirol lost? The Lost is lost…lost…lost…Lost…LOST!" One of her disciples cautiously walk towards her, its voice low and calm as to not set her off more.

"Mother, be calm…"

The screams stopped and replace by a cold hiss. "Calm, yes…once I was calm" she said chillingly. "Once Mother listened to a beautiful song, it washed over her and inside of her and she was calm"

"But the calm went away…the Father took it away and now he takes away Kal'Hirol" Then she placed her hand on her face and started to weep. "My poor, poor pets in Kal'Hirol…the Father knew the suffering I would send against him…the Father feared!" The Mother then started to chuckle until she bursts into full on laughter, laughter that unnerved the disciple…the Mother's emotions were everywhere, there was not telling what she would do.

The Mother sighed. "Kal'Hirol is gone, but the Mother still has her tricks. So many, many tricks…"

"But what will the Mother do?"

A large grotesque grin stretched across her face. "Do? I will laugh!" Her unhinged laughter echoed across her nest, she suddenly stopped and went cold. "And then I will wait"

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

The party made it back to Vigil's Keep, the fortress was much livelier than usual. The stonemason after getting his payment wasted no time in getting the workers across the land to work on the Keep. The Keep looked so much different than when Jenra first arrived, it was beginning to look like a mighty fine fortress. "Nice fortress, it will feel strange sleeping in an actual bed after so long" Sigrun said. "So when to do I start this Joining ritual?"

"We'll start first thing in the morning, first get some rest" Jenra said. "I need to update my Seneschal on the situation" The party disbanded and Jenra headed into the Keep, he then heard someone trying to get his attention.

"Psst, Psst Warden" A bald dark skinned man with a bluish-grey eyes and a dark bead walked over to him, it was his weapon smith, Wade. Wade was a recent addition to the Keep's staff, after the darkspawn attack the original smith for the fortress was killed in the crossfire. He was highly recommended by the guard captain in Denerim, as he was not only the owner of his own shop but he was an exceptionally skilled smith. His skills showed as the Keep's equipment was upgraded greatly from the worn weapons and armor before. Unfortunately despite his skills Wade had little in the way of common sense…he was a chronic perfectionist and this left him with very few customers. To avoid going bankrupt, his partner, Herren, is taking care of the financial side of the business.

Jenra sighed. "Oh dear Maker, what is it, Wade?"

"Harren is content to let me craft away in obscurity under dreadful conditions" he whined. "Never a care for the art…the art…of crafting" Wade then gave a small smirk. "But you, you're not so dreadfully common"

"And here comes the sweet words…you want something"

"Now we understand each other, I want to make wonders things, things that make a dwarven craftsman envious" he said. "You go out in the world often, if you come across any fantastical materials, could your perhaps visit old Wade?" A brown haired man came up and frowned…Herren is Wade's partner, he focuses on business transactions so Wade can focus on smiting, which has proven beneficial. Herren himself claims he chose to move the shop there, much to the dismay of Wade, who dislikes the colder climate of Amaranthine and refers to the fortress as "this dreadful turnip keep". Wade however states the reason for their presence was that they were offered a hefty sum from the royal treasury as an enticement.

"Wade, what are you about?"

"Oh nothing, nothing…the Commander here was thanking me for job well done" Herren narrowed his eyes suspiciously but then went back to his counting. "Remember…fantastical materials"

"I'll remember" With that done, Jenra headed back to the throne room to speak with Varel. He saw that he was speaking to a few nobles. "Varel, what is this?" Before Varel could speak, a dark-skinned man with white hair came up and shook his hand.

"Bryce's youngest, all grown up and a hero to the land, your father would be proud" Jenra tilted his head in confusion. "Eddelbrek of Feravel Plains, my Lord" Lord Eddelbrek of the Feravel Plains and the biggest farmholder in Amaranthine, making him one of the two most important nobles in the Arling. He is outspoken and popular, and is not one to stand on ceremony, habitually speaking up about threats to the farmers with no care for what city nobles think of him.

Eddelbrek is not too fond of the former Arl of Amaranthine, Rendon Howe. Eddelbrek is also a good friend of Jenra's father who always spoke quite highly of him. "You come to us during desperate times"

A red haired man snorted. "Not more about your precious farms, Eddelbrek" Ser Timothy is a minor noble of Amaranthine; he was an ardent supporter as well as business partner of Rendon Howe. Rendon and Ser Timothy had a business venture that was close to being struck until Jenra killed Rendon. Like the rest of the nobles, he had sworn fealty to Jenra but on Varel's advice Jenra was wary of any knives coming for him.

"Some in our arling do not have the comfort of city walls, on the plains the situations is dire!"

"What seems to be the problem, Lord Eddelbrek?"

"As we feast, the peasants on our lands are starving or worse" he said.

"The city's defenses are more important, Eddelbrek" Timothy said.

"The silos are full of wheat now, but if something happens to the farmers, where will you get that fine food you enjoy so much?"

"While I am busy with the darkspawn threat, I will take the matter under advisement"

Eddelbrek knelt. "Thank you, my liege" Jenra went over to Varel, the Seneschal tells Jenra about his right of high justice and that he should make a decision on certain subjects. The doors open and a red-haired man in common clothing came in with chains around his arms surround by soldiers.

"Now that the Commander has returned, the judgement shall now commence"

 _ **Law and Order at Vigil's Keep! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	27. Chapter 27: A Day in Court

**Chapter 27: A Day in Court**

 _Some kingdoms rigidly define the rights of vassals and their duty to their liege. In Ferelden, a relatively new kingdom, the arls and arlessas theoretically command their arlings' banns and lords. In practice, those lessers often zealously maintain their independence._

 _Some Fereldan vassals must be goaded instead of ordered-swayed not ruled. Vassals owe military obligations to their liege, yet often deny even sworn oaths and signed contracts. In contrast, the vassals expect their liege's protection despite provocation otherwise. A successful Fereldan liege applies force, persuasion, and duplicity in equal measure.-From A Guide to Statecraft, published anonymously_

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Warden Barracks**_

After being shown around the Keep by some of the soldiers, Sigrun retired to her barracks to rest for the day of her Joining. After taking off her armor, the dwarf jumped into her bed…it was so strange Sigrun had never had a bed before. In Dust Town, she slept on the cold hard ground with only rags to keep her warm. When she joined the Legion of the Dead, Sigrun slept on makeshift cots…at the time she thought this was the best thing ever, she was so wrong. Sigrun picked up some dirt and took a deep breath…the land of the surface was so much different than the Deep Roads, it smelled cleaner. Velanna came in and looked at the dwarf with raised brows.

"What are you doing, dwarf?"

Sigrun quickly dropped the dirt and stood up. "Nothing"

"Really because I think I saw you…sniff the dirt"

"Fine, can't get nothing past you….it smells good, alright like falling leaves and sunlight" Sigrun said. "Aren't elves supposed to be close to nature?"

"Figuratively! We don't snuff our nose in it!" Velanna went to her bed and took out a book one of the human priest gave her…a book on the life of the Andraste. As she read, the elf could help but noticed Sigrun stare at her from her bed. "What are you looking at dwarf? I am not some kind of spectacle"

"You're the first elf I've ever known. Do you feel honored?"

"Why would I feel honored?"

"Your actions will influence my opinion of your race…" Sigrun said with an almost child-like wonder. "Forever…"

Velanna grimaced at little; she had to be roommates with a strange dwarf. "Oh…thank you, I needed more anxiety…"

"Glad to help!" the dwarf said cheerfully. "So where's the mighty leader? I haven't seen him since we arrived here"

"Apparently Jenra is caught up in…human affairs"

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Throne Room**_

Fereldan law is relatively unregulated compared to that of older nations, and is expected on an individual level to be supplemented by one's martial prowess. Indeed, most petty crimes like theft are overlooked by the city guard in Denerim, whose main concern is protecting their posts. Consequently, the common Fereldan should not expect much help fending off criminal activity unless murder or major property damage has occurred. Slavery is illegal in Ferelden, but criminals still practice it in secret. There are no laws regulating personal behavior such as bearing arms, drinking, gambling and prostitution. Similarly, local prejudices and violence against non-human residents—notably alienage elves—often go unpunished. In part this is pragmatism, as Ferelden king's law states that killing a human in defense of an elf is a crime.

This is not to say that Ferelden is lawless; quite the opposite. The king's seneschal personally appoints arbiters—judges—called "blackhallers" to hear disputes. Blackhallers adjudicate cases from the black granite seneschal's hall in Denerim—hence the name—, and in the countryside, sheriffs appointed by the local bann patrol and keep track of upcoming cases for the blackhallers to hear. Though given the blackhallers' busy schedules, trials can take some time to occur. A suspect may surrender an item of great value to the local sheriff and be released "on his bond" until the time of the trial rather than waiting in a dungeon. This property will be returned if the suspect returns to be judged. Otherwise, the property is retained by the sheriff and the suspect has the charge of fleeing justice added to their criminal record.

As long-term imprisonment is frowned upon in general in Ferelden, punishment is often quick and violent. Common methods include public humiliation, whipping, disfigurement, fines and even executions.

"All rise. The Warden-Commander and liege lord of all Amaranthine enters" The nobles stood at attention as Jenra took to the throne. Varel then leaned into Jenra's ears. "I've held it off as long as could; Commander but you hold the right of high justice on your land" he said. "Certain matters of court must be decided"

Jenra groaned. "Nice of you to spring this on me after a grueling battle with darkspawn, Varel" he said. "Isn't this the duty of the blackhallers?"

"Usually but the Blight cut many of their numbers which makes them understaffed at the moment" Varel said. "You should not worry about time, Commander these judgements tend to be quite quick"

"Well that's one up-side…anything I need to know before this all starts?" Jenra asked.

"By custom, the claimants make their case to you. I'll advise you after, then you rule" he said. "As seneschal of the Vigil, I can hold court as well if you command it"

Jenra nodded. "Then let it began"

Varel faced the nobles. "Be seated, the Warden-Commander will first hear the matter of the crown against the sheepherder Alec" The doors open and a red-haired man in common clothing came in with chains around his arms and surrounded by the guards. The sheepherder was scared and rightly so, if judgement worked against him…he would be whipped at best and executed at worst. "The judgement shall now commence"

A man in silver-grey armor walked forward, judging from the insignia he was from Denerim and held a fairly high position in the royal army. "On behalf of the crown, I submit that Alec stole two bushels of grain bound for the garrison in Amaranthine" he said. "When confronted by my men, he confessed. The punishment for theft from the crown is death by hanging" Alec gave shallow breaths at the punishment which did not fail to escape the notice of Varel.

"What say you, Alec?"

"M…my sheep were slaughtered by the darkspawn. I…I was desperate, my family was going to starve" Alec went to his knees and clasped his hands. "I ask for mercy, Commander…mercy"

"The poor bugger, had he stolen from anyone else he'd escape with a flogging" Varel said. "What say you, Commander?"

"Rise Alec, I feel for your plight, sadly your story is quite common since the end of the Blight" Jenra said. "I shall give mercy only on one condition; you will repay the crown by joining the army. Your life spared and your family fed"

"Bless you, my lord, bless you!" The soldier nodded accepting Jenra's judgement and took the chains off of Alec and they walked out of the throne room. The next one to come in was Elias and a young woman wearing rags.

"The next one is a serious matter, Commander" Varel said. "Danella, a soldier of the Keep, abandoned her post and was caught three leagues away"

"She is charged with desertion, even if it were not a time of war, the penalty would be death" Elias said crossing his arms. "It is a shame; she was a good soldier and would have had a bright future if not for this"

"What says you, Danella?"

Danella frowned. "I asked the old captain several times to release me from my oath. The darkspawn are too near my family's farm" she said. "They need me, my lord. I'm no coward"

"You dishonor everyone who serves the Vigil, girl" Elias said angrily. "We all have family under threat but still we held the line"

"The men are afire over this one, Danella is an accomplished scout but desertion could destroy the army" Varel said. "What says you, Commander?"

Jenra crossed his arms. "I sympathize I really do but you took an oath to protect lord and countrymen" he said. "With intelligent darkspawn roaming across Amaranthine, we cannot afford such actions, one year in prison"

Danella was about to say something but Varel stopped her. "The matter is settled" The soldier was taken away as a male and female noble walks forward. "The next matter is a civil matter" he said. "Lady Liza Packton is the sovereign of Teyrn's Down, she…"

"I prefer to speak for myself, Arl Howe made certain promises to me" the Lady said. "Some of these he committed to paper, I was given the right to the incomes of the southern bridge"

The male noble walked forward and frowned. "And what part did you take part in Howe's conspiracies, eh Liza? To get such a prize" Ser Derren was one of the few nobles in the Amaranthine area who stood against Teyrn Loghain during the Civil War. Howe was a petty man, and most likely made those promises to Lady Packton to spite Ser Derren. "My lord, the land she seeks is mine and was only taken from me because I would not betray the crown"

"Commander, Amaranthine has precious few allies who support you wholeheartedly…if there's any hope of persuading more nobles to your cause, you must be fair-minded" Varel said. "Tread carefully on this" As much as Jenra disliked going with anything Rendon Howe promised, the law trumps his personal feelings.

"It's legal, Derren but I swear to you on my honor to make this up to you" Derren frowned a little it was not just the land he was protective of, the bridge to the south was built by his beloved late father but relented and placed his trust in Jenra.

"The Commander has spoken, the matter is resolved" Varel announced. "This session of the arling's court is over" The noble walked out of the throne room. "Maker help me, I hope the next one is easier than this"

Jenra sighed. "Now that this is over, I have some unnerving news to give you" he said. Jenra told Varel about what happened in Kal'Hirol; the broodmothers breeding an army and that there was two factions of intelligent darkspawn at war with each other. Varel looked unnerved by the tale…the dangers that Amaranthine faced was much bigger than they thought.

"We've done well to rebuild and improve the Keep but I fear…it may not be enough" Varel said. "If we are to overcome this threat, we must double our preparations"

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Courtyard**_

The nobles were heading back to their carriages, as Ser Timothy was heading inside of his carriage a brown-haired older woman dressed in orange and red noble clothes appeared behind him. Bann Esmerelle of Amaranthine is the most important figure within the nobility of Amaranthine; by far the wealthiest and most powerful. She was a great supporter of Arl Howe right up until his death, for this she should have been deposed of by Howe's opponents but she is too powerful to be ignored or displaced. "Bann Esmerelle, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Ser Timothy asked.

"I was just curious…how do you feel about the newest lord of Vigil's Keep?"

"I'm not impressed honestly, it was a mistake to give this…boy an arling" Timothy said. "I'm sure you've noticed Esmerelle the drain of resources from Amaranthine…it is slow now but in a few years…"

"Yes, the peasants have been quite…restless but perhaps we can use this to our advantage"

Timothy gave a small smirk. "Yes indeed, the Cousland boy has goodwill for now because his title as Hero of Ferelden…but that goodwill can turn sour with the right rumors" he said. "But there is a problem, Esmerelle there is only so much we can do against the Warden Commander and because Cousland has the backing of the new king the others wouldn't dare make moves against him for fear of treason"

"Don't you worry about that Timothy I can be quite persuasive" The two nobles entered their carriages to begin their scheme against Jenra.

 _ **Watch out Jenra, the knives are coming out! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	28. Chapter 28: The Call of Duty 2

**Chapter 28: The Call of Duty Ⅱ**

 _The nominal leader of our order is the First Warden, but you can expect little assistance or guidance so far from the Anderfels. Even those close to Weisshaupt learn to suffer alone. The murmurs are true-the First Warden is often embroiled in the politics of the Anderfels and has little opportunity to consider worldly matters. I would like to believe it is a matter of survival, not of political self-interest._

 _Know that your mission is vital. You carry the hopes of our order. If the highest among us holds noble titles outside of the Anderfels, perhaps we will be better situated when the next Blight comes, as we all know it must.-A confidential report for the Warden-Commander_

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Mess Hall**_

In the mess hall moment from her joining, Sigrun was eating…the soldiers around her were impressed by how much the dwarf could put away the food. Sigrun was just impressed by the variety of morsels that the surface had, back when she was growing up in Dust Town the best she could get were the scraps of food dropped by the higher castes. When she became part of the Legion her eating situation got better but not by much. She stuffed her face with the braised lamb and gave a big satisfied burp.

"Maker's breath…the lass just ate twenty-six full course meals" one soldier said in amazement.

"Really? I lost track after twelve…"

Oghren gave a smirk. "Reminds me of Branka…good times"

Sigrun raised a brow. "I remind you of your ex-wife, who fed her entire house to darkspawn in search for a magical anvil?"

"Yes…well, no…not when you put it that way"

She sighed. "Smooth, Oghren…real smooth" In the distance, Sigrun could see a group of women and some men both soldier and servant crowding over in the corner. They looked very excited by something for some reason. "What's going on there, I wonder?"

Oghren crossed his arms and grumbled. "Anders found a cat"

Sigrun tilted her head, since she has been underground her whole life she had no knowledge of the creatures on the surface. "What's a…cat?" she asked. "And why are you in such a bad mood all of the sudden?"

"Cats are like furry nugs but instead of eating them, surfacers keep them as pets…ridiculous I know who would keep meat as a pet" Oghren said. "For some reason, women are drawn to him when he plays with that cat"

"Like moths to a flame" Anders said walking towards them. He was holding an orange and white cat and was holding it like a mother would an infant. "Women like it when men show affection for small, fuzzy, defenseless beings…kinda like you"

Oghren grunted in a huff. "Stupid…mage. Every time I pull something out of my robes, the women just flee"

"Gee I wonder why…." Anders then took notice of Sigrun. "So this is the newest recruit to our dysfunctional family…huh Jenra sure loves picking up strays" he said. "Oh come now, don't give me that look…we strays have to stick together"

"Is he always like this?" Sigrun asked.

"You'll get used to it" The doors to the mess hall opened and Jenra's advisers came in to call for Sigrun. It was time to for the Joining.

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Throne Room**_

Jenra sighed. "Now that this is over, I have some unnerving news to give you" he said. Jenra told Varel about what happened in Kal'Hirol; the broodmothers breeding an army and that there was two factions of intelligent darkspawn at war with each other. Varel looked unnerved by the tale…the dangers that Amaranthine faced was much bigger than they thought.

"We've done well to rebuild and improve the Keep but I fear…it may not be enough" Varel said. "If we are to overcome this threat, we must double our preparations" Varel nodded towards the advisers and they went to fetch Sigrun.

"So what can you tell me of this recruit, Commander?" Varel asked.

"She's was part of the Legion of the Dead before tragedy struck her fellows"

"The Legion I've heard of them, they're just as dedicated to fighting the darkspawn as the Wardens are" he said. "Its good that she knows the risks at least, too many times we get recruits who joins the Wardens for personal glory"

"So far we haven't lost any recruits since Mhairi, Maker willing I hope our luck keeps up" The chamber doors opened and Sigrun entered with a determined look on her face.

"So what trial needs to be done for me to become a Grey Warden?" Sigrun asked. "I'm ready for anything" Varel came to her with the chalice, Sigrun looked at the chalice and then to Jenra and Varel. "This is it? Just drinking from a goblet…"

"Do not be fooled Sigrun the Joining is as much your trial as it is your initiation" Jenra said. "In this chalice is darkspawn blood, if you drink it and survive you become one of us and survival is quite low"

"From this moment forth, Sigrun, you are a Grey Warden"

"Then let it be…" Sigrun gulped down it down; she heard whispers in her head as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She then fell to the floor as Varel knelt down and took her pulse.

"You chose her well, Commander. She will wake shortly" Jenra could only smile in relief another survivor, another ally in the war against the darkspawn. The soldiers picked Sigrun up and sent her to the infirmary to recover.

* * *

 _ **Infirmary**_

Moments later, Sigrun woke up with a great headache….in all the battles she had with the darkspawn she has never felt this much pain before. The healers came to her with a potion to help clear her head. As her head was starting to clear up, Jenra come in. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I just got trampled by a herd of bronto but I'll live" Sigrun said. "I'm more disturbed by…whatever that was when I was out"

"You had dreams; Oghren had the same thing once he became a warden"

"Dreams huh? That is going take some getting used to" Sigrun said. She then saw Jenra hand her a amulet that had a crystal that was red like blood. "Jewelry?"

"All wardens receive these amulets after their Joining." Jenra said. "These amulets serve as a constant reminder of the Wardens eternal vigil against the darkspawn hordes." Sigrun looked at her amulet…it amazed her how much the Wardens customs were like the Legions. Before they permanently leave Orzammar and enter the Deep Roads, the Legionnaires undergo a symbolic "funeral" where last goodbyes are spoken to friends and relatives and all ties to their former lives are cut. It begins with chanting and toasts, then the dwarves bid farewell to their friends and loved ones. This funeral clears the dwarf's name and restores their family's lost honor. They are recorded as dead in the Memories, viewed as having found glorious and redemptive death in battling the dwarves' eternal nemesis, the darkspawn. The Legionnaire must then work to make this a fact through a courageous and honorable death.

Legionnaires are typically marked with grim tattoos and equipped with heavy armor. When a Legionnaire dies in battle the Legion entombs them, thus returning them to the Stone. Wardens are the same way in some parts even down to the groups' individual creeds…that was when Sigrun realized that while she lost one band of brothers, she had gained another. "So what's next?"

"We search for one of our own, a man named Kristoff" Jenra said. "But first I think we've earned a little rest, once we've prepared we'll head out"

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Training Yards**_

Nathaniel was in the training yard firing arrows at the hay targets. The yard was noisy as he was surrounded by soldiers sparring and whacking training dummies…but Nathaniel liked the noise not only did it remind him of his training back in the Free Marches but it kept his mind off of…his family. As he was about to fire another arrow, out of the corner of his eye Nathaniel spotted Velanna under a tree in the back of the yard. In her hand was the amulet that Jenra gave back to her when they first met, Nathaniel put away his bow and walked towards the elf. "You know if want a quiet place…this isn't it" Velanna glared at him and Nathaniel just smirked. "Still with the deadly looks, my lady?"

Velanna scoffed. "My lady" she sneered. "Sure a shem thing to call someone"

"It is a term of respect. You think its human to be respectful?"

"Now you're mocking me"

"I think you're a lovely woman, and due some respect. So I call you a lady"

Velanna blushed a little. Well…stop it!"

Nathaniel leaned on the tree next to Velanna. "That's a beautiful amulet…never seen anything like it before"

"My mother made it, she was the best crafter in my clan" Velanna said. "It was to celebrate Seranni getting her Vallaslin, she was the youngest person in the history of our clan receive it" Seranni was a happy and compassionate young girl, who was beloved by everyone she came across. Seranni stood as a sharp contrast to her sister Velanna, who was her senior by two years. Velanna was a quiet and awkward child, who lived as a social outcast among the clan.

Seranni who loved her sister greatly, made constant attempts to include Velanna whenever she played with friends, but every time Velanna faced rejection. Eventually Seranni could no longer convince her friends to play with Velanna, and her sister gave up on trying to make friends. Although the two sisters had little in common they continued to remain close throughout their childhood.

Nathaniel chuckled. "Sounds like my younger sister, everyone adored her though she had her mischievous side" he said. "When we were children, she put beetles in my blankets…she would laugh when she heard me shriek"

Velanna snorted. "Serrani liked to put sap in my hair, she also pushed me into an icy river…twice"

"Ouch"

"Hmm, yes…why did I want to rescue her, again?"

"Because despite all the vexing things they do, they're family and you would give anything to see them safe and sound" Velanna looked at Nathaniel as he had a melancholy look on his face…it was so strange that a human could relate to her so well, or maybe her hatred of them blinded her to how similar elves and humans could be.

"I may have misjudged you a little"

Nathaniel chuckled. "Just a little?"

"I sometimes paint all humans with the same brush"

"As long as it's such a pretty brush, I don't mind"

"I'm sure I don't know what that means" Velanna said.

"It means your apology is appreciated, my lady"

Velanna blushed. "Well then, good" The elf saw something caught Nathaniel's attention as he headed to an old elf in brown clothes.

"Samuel? Groundskeeper Samuel? Is that you?" The elf looked confused at first but then a big smile spread across his face as he came and shook Nathaniel's hand.

"Maker's breath, as I live and breathe if it isn't little Nate!" Samuel said. "Look at you, big and strong…that training in the Free Marches sure paid off" The elf then gave a sad look. "Oh Nate, I'm so sorry about Thomas…he was…"

Nathaniel lowered his head. "I know, killed by darkspawn"

"I was hear when the soldiers broke the news to your father, Thomas fought to his last breath even saved some men from that hell…however short-lived it was"

"That sounds like Thomas…he could never ignore someone in danger" Nathaniel said. "Samuel, do you know of Delilah's fate…I've been receiving letters from her but they've stopped coming"

"Lady Delilah is safe, in fact she's married"

Nathaniel was taken aback. "M-Married?! When?! How?!"

"Sometime after your family lost its title and lands, last I heard she married a storekeeper in Amaranthine, don't know which one" Nathaniel ran for the Keep to look for Jenra, his sister was okay but he couldn't just go…it would be seen as abandoning his post. He turned the corner and bumped into Jenra.

"Ow…Nathaniel? What is your hurry?"

"Cousland, I need to go to Amaranthine!"

 _ **A Family Reunion! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	29. Chapter 29: The Howe Family

**Chapter 29: The Howe Family**

 _The Howes of Amaranthine are one of the oldest noble families in Ferelden. Their lineage traces to the time of Calenhad, when Elias Howe was one of the first freeholders to follow Calenhad._

 _During the occupation, Arl Tarleton Howe, Rendon Howe's father, threw his lot in with the Orlesians. After several bitter battles with rebels, the town of Harper's Ford-an outpost governed by Tarleton Howe-fell to the Couslands of Highever. Tarleton hanged._

 _Rendon brought the Howe family over to the side of Maric Theirin and Loghain Mac Tir's rebellion. Rendon's bravery at the battle of White River, fighting alongside Bryce Cousland, earned back his family's honour. When King Maric took the throne in free Ferelden, Rendon Howe was decorated for his service.-From Annals of Northern Ferelden, by Brother Bedine, Chantry scholar_

 _ **The City of Amaranthine**_

On the way to the Delilah's home, Jenra was told everything by Nathaniel. Delilah was married to a local shopkeeper, Jenra thought back to all the times Rendon came to visit his family. Before his betrayal, the senior Howe seemed keened on marrying his only daughter off to him…before Jenra thought nothing about it, after all it was common within noble families to marry off their sons and daughter to continue lineages. But the Warden had to wonder if even that was just another scheme to get close to his family and destroy the Cousland line. Meanwhile, Nathaniel was deep in thought…his younger sister was there all through his father's so-called fall, she could finally give him the answer that he's been looking for and what he's been dreading. Out of all his siblings, Nathaniel looked up to his father the most...Rendon was a hard man to please but that didn't stop Nathaniel from trying to prove his worth. "Why? Why didn't Delilah tell me she got married?"

"Maybe she was afraid that you wouldn't approve" Jenra said.

"Afraid, why? Father is not here and we've lost our titles"

"You can take the man out of the nobility but you can't take the nobility out of the man" The two men went into the market district of the city, it was not as nice as the one in Denerim but it served its purpose well. The district was abuzz with activity with customers trying to get supplies, since dealing with the darkspawn in the Wending Woods merchants have been clear to move their supplies. However while the darkspawn were cleared the same could not be said about the bandits which have only increased on the highways. Jenra has sent his forces to secure the routes but with the darkspawn and protecting the Keep, his men were spread thin.

"There she is!" Delilah a dark haired woman with grey eyes like her older brother, she was dressed in a brown dress, which was nice compared to the other people out but was a long way from her noble days. She was in the back preparing food for her family, hugged tightly around her chest was a young babe only months old. "A son…it would seem Delilah left a lot of things out of her letters" A man came out of the house and kissed Delilah and her son, this must have been the man his sister have married. He had dark red hair and bright hazel eyes; he was of a slightly muscular frame from carrying in shipments for his store. He felt something warm from the man and Nathaniel knew his sister, she was never a fan of the nobles that greeted her in their father's court.

"Delilah…" Delilah turned and gasped as Jenra and Nathaniel approached.

"Nathaniel!" Delilah gave her husband their child and went to give her brother a hug. "Nathaniel, this is my husband Albert and my son, Thomas" Delilah had named her son after their late brother in his honor, Nathaniel came and shook Albert's hand…strong and firm, the type of man that would kill and die to protect the ones he loved.

"Greeting my friend, Delilah spoke a lot about you" Albert said. Thomas stirred and whined; Albert chuckled and cradled his son. "Looks like it's time for the pup's nap" Jenra was taken aback when he said this, he had flashes of his own father. He went inside to settle down the boy and Delilah lowered the flame so she could talk with her brother.

"Albert…he's seems like a good man, I like him"

Delilah smiled. "I'm glad, I was quite nervous when you showed up…I know how overprotective of me you can be" she said. "He's so much better than that stuck-up Cousland boy that Father kept trying to set me up with…"

Jenra cleared his throat. "Er, hello stuck-up Cousland boy right here…"

Delilah eyes went wide. "Oh! Er…that was you, wasn't it? Awkward…" she said. "And I…I'm sorry about your family…what my father did was terrible. Thank the Maker I'm finally away from his evil"

Nathaniel then lowered his head. "Evil…so it is true, I just thought he got caught up in politics…"

Delilah sighed and sat down. "Father's machinations went farther than anyone could have guess, he was so obsessed with bringing down the Couslands and returning our family to our glory days that he would use anyone…" she said. "Even his own children…"

"Sister…wha-what do you mean?" Nathaniel asked.

"Ser Jenra, have you ever wondered why my father was so dead set at marrying me off to you?"

"The thought has crossed my mind…" Unlike the rest of Ferelden, Rendon didn't think Fergus was going to be Bryce Cousland's heir but Jenra himself. He wanted to marry off Delilah to the youngest Cousland son so when Jenra succeeded his father as Teyrn, Delilah would be Teyrna of Highever.

"When the time was ripe, my father would arrange for your death…with no heir, Highever would go to your wife…me" Delilah said. "Highever was once a part of Amaranthine, and with me as teyrna it would be a part of Amaranthine once again" Jenra was shocked, Rendon's treachery stretched even further than he thought. "I had it easy, that is more than could say about poor Thomas, being trained those two monsters"

"Ser Julian and Ser Cornelius? But they were veterans of the Rebellion like father"

"Not everyone who fought in the Rebellion for Ferelden were heroes, Nathaniel" Delilah said. "Julian and Cornelius were monsters, its one thing to kill your enemies…its another to desecrate them and brag about it, to be no better than the damned darkspawn" And that cruelty showed in their 'training' of the youngest Howe, they would often train Thomas day and night sometimes without food and water. Delilah would sneak in extra food and drink for her younger brother and that's when she noticed the bruises and the scars. "Thomas…he tried to keep a strong face for my sake but I could tell, those monsters broke him"

"Why?! Why did father stop this?!"

"Father wanted Thomas to rise in the rank in royal army, to be at king's side" Delilah said. "With enough prestige, the king would make our family Teyrns to be equal to the Couslands" Tears ran down Delilah's face…it nearly broke her when she had gotten the news that Thomas had been killed. Their brother was a kind soul who wanted to travel the world and study the history of Thedas but that dream will never happen thanks to her father's obsession with trying to surpass the Cousland family. That day her hatred of her father truly bloomed, Delilah hoped her father's soul was rotting in the Void.

"Delilah, you spoke of Rendon's plans for you and Thomas but what about Nathaniel?" Jenra asked. Nathaniel's heart dropped…all those years in the Free Marches with Ser Rodolphe, just another one of his father's schemes.

Delilah wiped her tears. "Father's plan was to simply get Nathaniel out of the way" Nathaniel despite being the most faithful to their father, he couldn't be more different from Rendon. The oldest Howe had too much sense of honor to play the games Rendon wanted him to play and so became a liability to his ambitions. Rendon decided to send Nathaniel away to Starkhaven in the Free Marches, Nathaniel remembered arguing vehemently against this decision, wishing to stay at his father's side. His father then told him it was to be trained in the art of war, in preparation for the time he was to succeed Rendon as Arl of Amaranthine…and so that's how he spent the next 8 years in the Free Marches, serving under Ser Rodolphe.

"You were never going to be father's heir…he just said those things to make it easy for you to get on that boat…he favored Thomas but drove him to his death" Delilah said. "Honestly I was happy that you were away from him, because at least you couldn't see what he's become"

"It wasn't Ser Jenra that destroyed our family…it was father without question" Nathaniel lowered his soldiers as the already cracked pedestal he had of his father…shattered. Delilah came up and caressed her brother's face. "Listen to me, Nathaniel…father ruined Thomas and tried to ruin me but for eight years you were free from his poison, don't make the same mistakes he did" she said. "You are so much better than he is"

Nathaniel nodded. "Alright sister, I promise that I will never become like father"

Delilah smiled. "Come brother, let us sit and catch up a bit, shall we?" Jenra and Nathaniel stayed for dinner with Delilah's family. The atmosphere was jovial and warm unlike the conversation they had earlier. Delilah smile was ear to ear, Nathaniel haven't seen her this happy since they were children. After dinner Nathaniel spent some time with his infant nephew and his father, he had found out that Albert liked to shoot arrows at his leisure and invited Nathaniel to come to the shooting range sometime. Night soon fell and Jenra and Delilah had to leave for the Keep, duty called.

"You doing alright, Nathaniel? That couldn't have been easy to hear"

"You're…concerned about me, Cous-er Jenra?"

"Of course I am, I told you before I despise your father for what he did but I don't blame you"

"It's still a shock...I thought he had his reasons, it was a war of Andraste's sake" Nathaniel said. "It's so frustrating…I still want to believe that my father had any nobility but when it mixes up with reality, I'm at a loss…I truly am" Jenra understood his pain, despite all the monstrous actions Rendon took at the end of the day he was still Nathaniel's father…that kind of pain was going to take time to heal. All Jenra could do is be a friend, he placed a hand on Nathaniel's shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Nathaniel"

"I wonder…what if I'd never left? Maybe I have stopped him or changed his mind somehow" he said. "I wish I'd known some of this sooner…I feel like such a fool" Nathaniel sighed. "Let's get back to our business….killing some darkspawn will take my mind off of this"

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

Anders was in the keep heading for the mess hall to feed his kitten Sir-Pounce-A lot, a he was getting close he saw a young woman in the halls. From the way she dressed, she was no servant and she seemed to be looking for someone. "That amulet…are you one of the Grey Wardens?"

"Uh, yeah…what pretty little thing like you doing in a dump like this?" Anders asked flirtingly.

"I have no time for jokes, mage…I need to speak to your Commander, it is urgent"

"He's not here…but I can give this message to him" The woman looked at him unsure but then sighed.

"I've had…the opportunity to intercept some of the nobles' letters, they are cryptic things" the woman said. "The individual message is just gibberish but together they form a pattern"

"They mean to end the Commander…a deadly coalition"

"Uh, whoa…perhaps you should stay and explain this to Jenra"

"I need you to warn the Commander, given a few days I can retrieve the messages" she said. "I would have brought them tonight, but its too risky for it to be out in the open"

"I have much to lose and precious little to gain" she said "Tell the Commander that once I've gathered what I need, I will meet with him soon" Before Anders could speak up, the woman was gone…the mage rubbed his head and sighed.

"What have you gotten yourself into Anders…"

 _ **Hard Truths revealed! A brewing conspiracy in the works! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	30. Chapter 30: A Brewing Conspiracy

**Chapter 30: A Brewing Conspiracy**

 _ **Vigil's Keep-The Night Before**_

 _Anders was in the keep heading for the mess hall to feed his kitten Sir-Pounce-A lot, a he was getting close he saw a young woman in the halls. From the way she dressed, she was no servant and she seemed to be looking for someone. "That amulet…are you one of the Grey Wardens?"_

" _Uh, yeah…what a pretty little thing like you doing in a dump like this?" Anders asked flirtingly._

" _I have no time for jokes, mage…I need to speak to your Commander, it is urgent"_

" _He's not here…but I can give this message to him" The woman looked at him unsure but then sighed._

" _I've had…the opportunity to intercept some of the nobles' letters, they are cryptic things" the woman said. "The individual message is just gibberish but together they form a pattern"_

" _They mean to end the Commander…a deadly coalition"_

" _Uh, whoa…perhaps you should stay and explain this to Jenra"_

" _I need you to warn the Commander, given a few days I can retrieve the messages" she said. "I would have brought them tonight, but its too risky for it to be out in the open"_

" _I have much to lose and precious little to gain" she said "Tell the Commander that once I've gathered what I need, I will meet with him soon" Before Anders could speak up, the woman was gone…the mage rubbed his head and sighed._

" _What have you gotten yourself into Anders…"_

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Now**_

Jenra returned to Vigil's Keep where Anders and Varel were waiting for him, the mage told him about the mysterious woman who was trying to warn Jenra of the conspiracy to kill him. Jenra expected some like this would happen eventually but he didn't think it would happen so soon. Varel crossed his arms. "Disturbing but not unexpected, many fortunes have been impacted by some of our actions" he said. "I suspect sending soldiers to protect the countryside was the last straw"

"We can't afford to have the darkspawn take root in the countryside" Jenra said. "Especially with the Mother and the Architect out there"

"It was a smart decision, my lord even if the nobles are too short-sighted to see it" the Seneschal said. "Anders, did this woman mention anything about the conspirators? Treachery is a capital offense even for nobles"

Anders shook his head. "No she didn't but she said she's bringing some evidence" he said. "Honestly, she didn't even give her name…I don't know if we can trust her, this could be nothing"

"Maybe…but better to be a touch paranoid than turning up face down in a ditch" Varel said. "We'll need strong proof…and that'll be hard to gather"

"What are our options?" Jenra asked.

"We could have some soldiers try to spy on the nobility that might bear fruit I suppose"

Anders raised a brow. "Wouldn't that let those nobles know we're on to them?"

"Anders has a point, Varel…our soldiers are good men but spying is not in them"

"There are rumors of someone called the Dark Wolf who finds information for a fee" Varel said. "But I'm not comfortable about using information brokers; they tend to turn on you when they smell better coin"

"So where would we find this Dark Wolf?"

"No idea, honestly…somewhere in the foreign quarter of Amaranthine is all I know"

"Well that's helpful…one of our options is chasing a ghost" Anders said dryly. "Any more options?"

"I do have one more, but it would turn the nobles fierce" Varel said reluctantly. "You could invite a member of each of the noble families to as valuable 'guests' if you know what I mean…"

"Anything untoward happens…well, get the picture" Jenra and Anders looked at each other shocked; this was surprisingly cutthroat for the often mild-mannered Seneschal. Then again he might have picked some things up from Rendon Howe.

"Damn that's…"

"I know, it's so…ugh Orlesian" The door opened and Captain Elias came in to whisper in Varel's ears, from the look on Varel's face he was shocked. "Commander, it seems something has come up that needs your attention" Anders excused himself as Jenra and Varel prepared an emergency court session. The call went out for the nobles to gather, a lot were annoyed that they were called on such short noticed but when the Arl calls they must obey. Soon the throne room was filled and the session could begin. "Bring in Ser Temmerly the Ox"

A large bronze skinned blonde-haired man dressed in heavy armor came in with chains around his arms and a smug smirk on his face. Ser Temmerly was a minor and very unpopular noble in the Arling of Amaranthine. He gained the rather unflattering nickname Ox due to his loud, brash nature that made him seem more like a drunken tavern thug than a noble. Unfortunately, Jenra knew a lot of nobles like this…people who didn't see their position and power as a responsibility to be respected but as a means to do whatever they wanted. His father hated people like that and raised Jenra and his brother to never become like them.

Elias walked forward with a frown. "Ser Temmerly stands accused of a murder most foul, Commander" he said. "You and your men came upon Ser Tamra in the dead of night and did cravenly ambushed her"

"You dare too much, Captain Elias. I am noble born, and will not submit to your accusations"

"You are accused of murder, ser! My soldiers found you fleeing while Ser Tamra's blood was still hot"

Temmerly crossed his arms and scoffed. "There are many things on the roads, not all of it human and it's so dangerous at night" he said. "We were merely in a hurry to reach a nice, safe place"

"You mock this court with your denials"

The noble just gave a small chuckle. "You have nothing, 'Captain'. Release me, Commander…it's this lout's word against mine"

Varel frowned and leaned into Jenra's ear. "I know of this Ser Tamra, she's a very capable knight and popular with both the commoners and nobles" he whispered. "Someone like that doesn't just make enemies all of the sudden…."

"Tamra must have been the one trying to warn us, and this man killed her"

"Hmm and Ser Temmerly was a confederate of Arl Howe…it does all fit" Varel said.

"Not to mention the blood on his clothes…" Jenra said.

"Sadly it is not enough, bloody clothes is a common sight on travelers these days" Varel then sighed. "Besides that, nothing…Captain Elias looked into the matter thoroughly" Temmerly looked on with the same smug smirk…there was no evidence but it was no coincidence that the woman who tried to warn Jenra of a conspiracy against ended up dead and the Ox had fresh blood on him.

Varel turned to the court. "Your judgement, Commander?"

"Imprison him during our very, very long investigation" The smirk then dropped and replaced with a face of pure rage. The nobles looked shocked, they had no love for Temmerly but they were surprised one of their own would get such a harsh sentence. Ser Timothy and Bann Esmerelle looked especially concerned.

"What is the meaning of this?! You can't do this!" he yelled resisting the soldiers.

Oh, but the Commander very much can" Varel said. "This session of the arling's court is over" The nobles dispersed and exited the throne room. "Quite the stir you caused, it's been a long time since I've seen so many pale nobles"

"It's like you said, better to be safe than sorry" Jenra said. "If Temmerly is innocent then I will personally free him and apologize but if not…that's one less conspirator to deal with"

"What now?"

"We search for this Dark Wolf, get our information and end this conspiracy once and for all"

* * *

 _ **Imperial Highway**_

One the way back to Amaranthine, Ser Timothy and Bann Esmerelle rode in the same carriage looking quite pale. "The Cousland boy surprised me, I honestly thought Temmerly was going to go free" Timothy said. "You think he's on to our plans?"

"I honestly don't know…Tamra's death should have been the end of it" Esmerelle said. "We need to the Commander's attention elsewhere while we regroup"

"There has been talk among the peasants about a revolution in Amaranthine…apparently a food shortage has been happening ever since Cousland chose to humor Eddelbreks's request"

"Yes I've heard the city guards are having a difficult time keeping order, what of it?" she asked.

"Perhaps we can redirect that rage toward the cause of it, the Cousland boy may be a formidable warrior but he is no politician" Timothy said. "He'll be too overwhelmed to focus on us"

"Do it, in the meantime I shall contact the others"

* * *

 _ **The City of Amaranthine**_

The party was back in Amaranthine searching for the Dark Wolf, they went to every seedy place under the sun to find him. When the party was about to leave for the Keep after having no luck, a messenger stopped them and gave Jenra a letter. It was from a Ser Wolf, which meant the Dark Wolf knew he was being sought. "Ser Wolf…my, my someone has a big opinion of themselves" Anders said. The party went to the back entrance of the city, where there was less people and more importantly less guards around. There the Dark Wolf stood in a brown light armor, his face obscured by a silver-grey helmet.

"I see you got my letter, Commander" he said. "it's an honor to meet the Hero of Ferelden"

"Dark Wolf, I presume?"

"In the flesh, the less you know of me the better but by some I am called the Dark Wolf" he said. "In the depths of the city, there is murmuring of nobles that want you dead…I'd like to help"

Jenra crossed his arms. "How can I trust you? I doubt you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart"

"This meeting itself is a great show of trust on my part as I have many enemies that would love nothing more than to end me" the Dark Wolf said. "You see, I have great hopes that the Wardens will prove more fit to rule this land than the late Arl Rendon Howe"

"His confederates are the conspirators, but to unearth their identities, I'll need resources…fifty sovereigns"

Anders rolled his eyes. "So much for that nobility…" Jenra reached into his purse and gave the Dark Wolf fifty gold sovereigns.

"It will be done, give me some time"

"Time? I thought you would have the information for me right now" Jenra said.

"Patience Commander, the nobles hold many secrets that they would love to hide away and destroy" he said. "When it is ready, my messenger shall meet with you again" The Dark Wolf walked away.

"Well…that was a lot of nothing, how do we know he won't just sell us out?" Anders asked.

"He very much dislikes the nobles, I know that hatred anywhere" Sigrun said. As the party was preparing to walk out of the city, keep soldiers ran towards him.

"Commander, thank The Maker we were able to find you" one of them said. "There is a situation back to the Keep" The party raced back to the Keep.

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-The Gates**_

Outside of Vigil's Keep, the soldiers led by Captain Elias was trying to hold back the angry mob that was armed with torches and weapons. Varel was trying to calm them down, but the crowd was in a frenzy and was looking for blood. One of the commoners threw a rock at one of the soldiers which caused one of them to start unsheathing his sword, Elias ran up and held his arm.

"Stand down, soldier…we're not about to fight the people we're supposed to protect" The party made it back to Keep, once the commoners set their eyes on Jenra…their rage became much more hot and intense. Anders, Sigrun, and Velanna joined to the keep soldiers to hold back the crowd. "Thank the Maker you arrived, things are getting out of hand"

"DOWN WITH THE WARDENS! DOWN WITH COUSLAND!"

 _ **As the conspiracy makes its moves, Jenra finds himself as public enemy number one! Next Time! As Always Review and Comment!**_


	31. Chapter 31: Revolution and Treachery

**Chapter 31: Revolution & Treachery**

 _ **Vigil's Keep- the Gates**_

Outside of Vigil's Keep, the soldiers led by Captain Elias was trying to hold back the angry mob that was armed with torches and weapons. Varel was trying to calm them down, but the crowd was in a frenzy and was looking for blood. One of the commoners threw a rock at one of the soldiers which caused one of them to start unsheathing his sword, Elias ran up and held his arm.

"Stand down, soldier…we're not about to fight the people we're supposed to protect" The party made it back to Keep, once the commoners set their eyes on Jenra…their rage became much more hot and intense. Anders, Sigrun, and Velanna joined to the keep soldiers to hold back the crowd. "Thank the Maker you arrived, things are getting out of hand"

"DOWN WITH THE WARDENS! DOWN WITH COUSLAND!"

"My son is starving! Open the granaries!" one man said. "Feed your bloody people!" The soldiers were slowly losing ground, if the commoners broke through they would ransack the Keep and the soldiers would be forced to act. It would be a bloodbath and a blight on Jenra's good name…which would play directly into the conspirators hands.

"The conspiracy's hand is in this…"

"Yes I see it too…I've heard about the desperation of the common folk but their anger has been regulated to the local nobles" Varel said. "Maybe you could say a few words? Calm them down and make them see reason"

"I don't know Varel…they might be too far gone to see reason" Elias said. "We may need to put down this revolt to restore order"

Jenra shook his head. "No we will not start a massacre, we are better than that" he said. "With darkspawn out there, now more than ever we must stand together "

Elias sighed. "I will follow your lead Commander, but I'll have the soldiers standby…just in case"

"It won't come to that" Jenra came forward, a rock in direction and struck him in the head…the party stood at attention ready to attack the commoners but Jenra gestures them to stand down. "Please, let us talk about this"

"We will not be…" said a red-haired man

"Shh! Let the Commander speak" said a grey-haired woman. They must have been leaders of the revolt, the red-hair man stood with such presence it was obvious he was the backbone of the revolt. But he was hotheaded, the unrest would have long turned bloody if it wasn't for grey-haired woman who moderated things and kept things from getting out of hand.

"But we must eat! We…"

"Quiet!" The riots soon quieted down to allow Jenra to speak. The young lord was mistaken…the woman was the true backbone of the revolt; the man was just the muscle for it.

"I will provide for my people. Trust me."

"You expect us to believe those empty words!"

"I've been working with my staff on how to get more merchants to Amaranthine" Jenra said. "You will have your food; I just need you to be patient"

"Very well we will trust you"

"He could be lying to save his skin" The red-haired man said outraged.

"The Commander's soldiers protect my home that promise is enough for me" As the rebel moderate said that all the anger and tension in air just deflated and the angry mob dispersed to go back to their homes. The red-haired man looked on in disbelief before finally walking away in defeat; the soldiers of the Keep also dispersed and went back to their posts relieved that no blood had to be shed.

Varel sighed. "Crisis averted, I suppose but if you give a mob a rooster, they'll try for the chicken coop next time"

"I don't know how you did that, but I'm not complaining" As soon as Elias and Varel went back to the Keep, a messenger came towards the party which could only mean one thing…the Dark Wolf had the information Jenra needed.

* * *

 _ **City of Amaranthine**_

The party went back to Amaranthine and like clockwork there he was at the back gates waiting for them. "Doors bust down, skulls thumped, and vices preyed upon" the Wolf said. "But I have answers"

"You work fast; didn't you tell me that getting this information would take time?"

"My services are expensive for a reason…your enemies are quite paranoid and so I could not unearth their identities" he said. "But I do know this; they meet at Old Stark's Farm on the Feravel Plains"

"Makes sense, nobles do stick out like a sore thumb and they wouldn't anyone around to hear of their plans" Anders said.

"Then we'll make haste" The party left through the gates.

"Maker be with you" the broker said. "Oh and Commander? Beware of trapped rats…"

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

The party headed back to keep for preparation to hit the old farm, if what the Dark Wolf said was true and the conspirators are paranoid then that meant they were also prepared for them. As Jenra prepared the last of his gear, the young lord received a knock at the door. "Commander, its Varel" he said. "Some nobles are asking for an audience with you"

Jenra sighed. "Can't this wait?"

"Apparently not, they say it was urgent and I don't think they will take no for an answer"

"Ugh…very well, I swear they show up at the worse times"

"I'll meet you in the throne room" Soon afterwards, Jenra met Varel at the entrance of the throne room. He had told the others to wait for him by the front gate while he was meeting with the nobles. The Commander and Seneschal entered the throne room and met with Bann Esmerelle. She came dressed in heavy armor, in fact all of the noble here were in armor…Jenra frowned, something was up. "Bann Esmerelle, the Commander. What was this urgent matter?"

"I'm here about the good arl" she said. "The good arl you killed" The conspirators revealed themselves and decided to take the fight to Jenra himself.

"You're still loyal to Arl Howe?" Varel asked.

"Howe murdered my family and betrayed Ferelden!" Jenra said angrily. "You're loyal to a monster!"

"Rendon was good to us, good to me" Esmerelle said. "And now his death will finally be avenged" While they talked, a shadowy figure came from the side with a crossbow aimed for Jenra's head. Varel saw this got in the way, the Seneschal grunted in pain when the arrow struck his forearm. Heavy bolts, used to penetrate armor cleanly, assassins came from behind the pillars…they wore the emblem of the Antiva Crows; the conspirators spared no expense to kil Jenra. The nobles attacked, Jenra and Varel were surrounded…if he had known this would happen, Jenra would allow the others to follow him. Jenra made sure to protect Varel's flank as one of his arms was incapacitated, he cut down the crow on his right. Varel with his one good arm blocked Morag's sword and kicked her away to allow Jenra to impale her in the heart. He then tripped up the second crow and crushed the assassin's windpipe with his shield. Varel started to breath very hard as a cold sweat dripped from his face, he dropped to his knees.

"Varel!"

"Uh…it would seem that bolt was laced with poison that's just now taken effect"

"Get some rest, my friend take care of the rest" Jenra said.

"We're outnumbered as it is, and without me you'll be alone…Commander!"

The archers shot at the duo and Jenra grabbed the bolts with his blood claws and dissolved them in his hands. The nobles took a step back, shocked at the young lord's strange abilities before they could react to what they just saw Jenra charged the crow and impaled him with his claws. "Wha…what are you?!" Timothy asked fearfully.

"I'm the man who slayed the Archdemon and lived to tell about it" Jenra said. "You can't win, don't make this more difficult on yourself than it already is"

"Never, we are loyal to Rendon Howe and we will avenge our lord"

"Then you can join Howe in the Void…" Jenra took out his dagger and formed the blood sword, he charged Ser Timothy…the treacherous lord aimed for Jenra's throat but the commander overpowered him and impaled in the chest and smashed Timothy against wall. Esmerelle came up behind him with the last crows; Jenra threw his blood sword at the chest of one of the Crows and then cut down the last crow with Night-fang. Bann Esmerelle clashed with Jenra, with a face full of rage.

"Die you bastard!"

"You first…" Jenra knocked her sword up in the air and kicked the bann away; he then caught the sword and charged Esmerelle. With one quick swing, Jenra cut her head clean off and her body fell to the floor as her blood soaked the floors. The conspiracy was dead; Jenra put away his weapons and went to check on Varel as the throne room's doors opened. Captain Elias and his men as well as Jenra's companions came in.

"Maker's breath…what happened here?" Nathaniel asked.

"Someone having fun it looks like" Oghren said. "Shame I had to miss it"

Elias shook his head. "First a riot, now this…blast it" he said. "Varel?!" The captain ran to Jenra tending to Varel.

"He took a crossbow bolt meant for me, it was laced with poison" Jenra said. "See to it that he's well taken care of"

"I'll have our best herbalist attend to him immediately" Elias ordered his men to take the wounded Seneschal to the infirmary. He then got up and stepped on something round and wet, he stepped back in shock when he saw he stepped on a severed head. "Andraste's blood, this…this is Bann Esmerelle"

"She and her traitorous lot tried to kill me…they even hired some Crows"

Elias sighed. "I have failed you, Commander…"

"Don't trouble yourself, Captain even I was caught off-guard" Jenra said. "But this will be hard to explain to the other nobles, Bann Esmerelle was a powerful presence and they will notice her absence in the next meeting of the court"

"I'll have trusted men clean this up, we can keep this quiet for a while" the captain said. "There's enough cause for panic already" Jenra nodded and retired to his room to rest from this ordeal while the Keep's soldiers begin to clean the throne room.

* * *

 _The Blackmarsh is a dreary place, so damp you can feel the chill in your bones. Leave your clothes out to dry for a week, and they'll still be cold and wet when you put them on. I called Martan daft when he suggested we move there. "An awful place," he said, "but also a place where one can make a great deal of money collecting peat." By the Maker's soggy underclothes, he was right!-From the journal of Vera, a seamstress_

 ** _The Blackmarsh_**

The Blackmarsh is a deserted marshland along the northeastern shores of Amaranthine. It is a gloomy, desolate place. All who travel the one lonely path between the trees are beset by an oppressive feeling of dread. Nothing stirs in the marsh, for even birds and beasts sense the foulness in the air and dare not stray too close. However it wasn't always this way. Once, many years ago, there was a bustling harbor village and at one time the second most populous settlement next to Amaranthine. Boats and ships arrived daily at its small port until one day, it mysteriously disappeared. The few brave souls who ventured into the marsh to discover the villagers' fate found burned ruins and no sign of life. As the years passed, sightings of strange creatures and eerie lights in the marsh fueled belief that the Blackmarsh was haunted, and that all who valued their lives would do well to stay away.

Anders shuddered. "This place gives me the creeps, are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Kristoff's journal said he would be here, and this is the only marsh in all of Amaranthine" Jenra said.

Velanna frowned. "This is an unnatural place, the Veil is thin and spirits abound. We must be wary" The party headed deeper into the marsh.

 _ **The secrets of the Blackmarsh are abound! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	32. Chapter 32:Shadows of the Blackmarsh pt1

**Chapter 32: Shadows of the Blackmarsh pt1**

 _Few in town have heard anything about darkspawn stragglers. I doubted reports myself until a man told me he encountered darkspawn in the Blackmarsh. Although locals say the marsh is haunted, brave and desperate souls like this man still risk collecting peat._

 _The man said their leader spoke, but all know darkspawn cannot talk. More horrifying, he described a monster, a worm with legs. Surely he was mistaken about it following the darkspawn. I shall leave for the Blackmarsh in the morning._

 _These darkspawn acts like no pack I've seen, employing misdirection to keep their location secret. When an archdemon leads, darkspawn are predictable, straightforward. Yet these elude even a Grey Warden!_

 _I've tracked the pack through the Kolorind Forest to the edge of the Blackmarsh. The marsh is dangerous, but soon I'll be home, back with Aura. The Wardens can take me from her bed, but never her from my heart.-From the journal of Kristoff, Grey Warden_

 _ **The Blackmarsh**_

The party passed an old molding signed that warned them that the Blackmarsh is hunted, and judging from the atmosphere it was hard not to agree. Velanna shook her head at the sight of this place, her people passed through here a long time ago…they once said that this place used be beautiful and lush, it was good for hunting and believe it or not the humans in the area was relatively peaceful. But then something…unnatural happened to this land, it was not known what caused it but Velanna knew was that the Dalish don't dare to travel here nowadays. Howling was heard from a distance and down the hill came, blight wolves…wolves driven made by the taint. Velanna set wards on the ground that caused thorny roots to tangle the tainted beasts while Anders burned them in a big blaze. Jenra and Nathaniel finished off the stragglers and the party continued on their way.

"Grr! Andraste's blood…is anyone else feeling itchy?" Nathaniel complained.

"Not that you mention it…" Anders said.

"That would be the rashvine" Velanna said annoyed. "Damn things grow fast and everywhere…the blighted wolves must have rubbed against the plants"

"Brave it everyone…the rashvine will be the least of our problems" The party made it to a small fork in the road, one lead to a dead end but the other lead to what looked like ruins. As the party approached the ruins, Nathaniel looked at a dead tree tangled in thorny weeds.

"My father once told me stories about the Blackmarsh when I was young" he said. "He said evil magic killed everyone here…this was just before the rebellion, it was a great mystery at the time"

"Magic…yes that would explain why the Veil is so then here" Velanna said.

"But what magic could do this? The mage who cast it would have been monstrously powerful" Anders said.

"No one knows….once the monsters appeared, the marsh was abandoned" Anders and Velanna went on ahead, Jenra saw Nathaniel with a melancholy look on his face. "I used to dream of coming to the Blackmarsh and setting things right…dreams of a naïve child"

"Every child has dreams of changing the world, me included"

"If someone had told me I'd end up here, I would have laughed at them…but times change" Nathaniel said. "When I was in Kirkwall, I thought I would return to Ferelden and lead my people but that was all a lie"

"Now here I am, without land or titles, a Grey Warden under the command of a man I'm supposed to hate and fighting both darkspawn and demons…the Maker has an interesting sense of humor"

"Stick around, this happens all the time"

Nathaniel chuckles slightly. "At I know it won't get boring, so that's good to know at least" he said. "Anyway the hunted marsh awaits" The party continued on and turned the corner, they saw the ruins of the town in the Blackmarsh. The damage was extensive like the town was in the middle of a warzone…dusty old bones littered the ground. The party came in deeper and spotted a large skeleton of a dragon, probably a victim of whatever magic that destroyed the town. Up the stairs leading to the mayor's mansion there was a green ripple in front of them.

"That is a Fade scar…" Velanna said in awe.

"A Fade scar?" Jenra asked.

"Fade scars are tears so large that even non-mages can see them, I never thought I would ever see such a thing" Anders said. He placed his hand at the scar and was pushed back violently. "Ah…well we won't be going this way"

"What happened?"

"Something or someone doesn't want us to pass, best not to dwell on it" The party went down to the town square where the party found several darkspawn corpses. Anders whistled. "Someone's been busy, think it's our man Kristoff?" The party then heard feral growls all around them.

"I don't think so…" From the destroyed buildings were werewolves changed by the Taint, even the cursed couldn't escape the evil of the Taint. They rushed the party, Velanna created pillars of earth to impale the werewolves. Nathaniel fired a barrage of flaming arrow on the werewolves that were flanking them while Jenra cut down the ones that got close.

"Blighted werewolves…and I thought regular ones were bad" Jenra said. "Oghren is going to be sore he missed this"

"Bloody werewolves…I thought they were just wives tales and you fought them before, Jenra?" Nathaniel asked.

"Yes but it's a very long story" The party continued on, they passed the town went back into the wetlands; the werewolves eventually stopped coming and replaced the children. Egg sacs as far as the eye could see…when the party got close, they started to hatch and then they attacked them. The party fought them off and went into a small clearing where they found a freshly dead body waiting for them. The body was wearing a Grey Warden armor…they had found Kristoff and he was dead. While Jenra was examining the body, the party was being watched from above with a growl the figure jumped down…it was a Hurlock. The party stood at attention and all around them darkspawn came from out of the shadows. A darkspawn in black and red armor walked with command in front of the horde, it was one of the intelligent darkspawn.

"You think right, that is your Grey Warden" it said in a gravelly voice. It then walked forward and faced Jenra. "The Mother told it to me that if he was lured to this place, and slain, that in time you would come"

"A trap…and we were foolish enough to fall into it" Velanna said.

"The Mother was right, she is always right"

"The other intelligent darkspawn in your colors spoke of this 'Mother', who is she?" Jenra asked.

"The Mother is she that sent me, she that wished you to come, to here…this place" it said. "I…here before you is the First, and I am bringing to you a message"

"The Mother does not wish for you to further his plan, whether you know this or not. So she is sending you a gift" The First raised its hand and a dark aura flowed around its arm and then it turned bright green…green like the sky in the Fade. Jenra's eyes went wide, the darkspawn sending them into the Fade…it was at this moment that the young lord realized just how dangerous these sentient darkspawn were. The party was sucked in but then the First's hand started to spark and the vortex started to pull the darkspawn in. The vortex consumed the First and a Fade scar formed in the darkspawn's place repelling the horde.

* * *

 _Studies of the Veil have never been thorough. The Tevinters once theorised that the Veil is thin in places that have seen great bloodshed. As the Chantry is so fond of reminding us, the magisters of the Imperium only once crossed physically into the Fade, the catastrophe that blackened the Golden City. As the story goes, the ritual consumed a vast quantity of lyrium and the blood of a hundred slaves. But was it the deaths that bridged the worlds, or simply the blood and lyrium? Or both? Demons seize every opportunity, every tear in the Veil, to enter our world. Once the Veil is torn, it is extremely difficult to mend, some say impossible.-From The Lectures of First Enchanter Wenselus_

 _ **The Blackmarsh Undying**_

The party awakened to the green sky of the Fade, their heads was ringing. In front of them to their surprise was the First walking around in a panic…it would seem his plan did not go the way it wanted. "No, no, no! We have come to the Fade as well? It cannot be this!"

"It seems this Mother doesn't mind sacrificing her own if it means getting rid of her obstacles" Jenra said.

The darkspawn was taken aback. "I…I was…"

Anders crossed his arms and smirked. "Betrayed, backstabbed, flim-flamed…have to say this almost makes up for what you pulled on us"

"I am the First! I am not expendable! Both the Grey Wardens and the Mother shall be learning this!" The children crawled to its side; it seems some of the darkspawn got sucked in with the First. "I will leave you to the Children; I will be finding my own path back into the world and back to the Mother!" The First left leaving the party with its brethren, now that they were in the Fade Jenra's spirit warrior abilities was much stronger. Anders and Velanna's magic also grew in power allowing the party to kill the darkspawn quickly.

"Wonderful…the Fade, my last experience here was far from enjoyable" Anders said. "The faster we're out of here, the better"

"I concur..." Velanna said. The party looked at Jenra; he was totally calm and panicked like them. Nathaniel grabbed his shoulder.

"We are in the Fade, the realm of dreams…why aren't you more concerned about this?" Nathaniel asked. "Who knows how long we could be wondering here?"

"I've been in the Fade two or three times since being a Warden, what's one more trip?" he said nonchalantly. "Just keep your bearings and we'll get out of this"

Nathaniel blinked. "Uh…right…" The party continued on, this part of the Fade was incredibly turbulent like they were being pushed and pulled by an incredible storm. In the distance, they could see a pillar of light…as they got closer to it; demons attacked them almost like they were protecting the pillars. After they killed the demons, the found an altar bathed in ethereal light. Jenra placed his hand on the altar and the light went away…and the Fade storm eased just a little. The party traveled along the path searching for the altars to help guide their way through this unnatural storm. After touching six altars, the world flashed and they entered an island with six stones and a single altar in the center. The party went up to the runestones and touched them, a jet of green flames went along the paths and connected into a hexagon surrounding the altar.

"Something's coming…" Jets of flames erupted from the floor as several rage demons appeared and attacked. Jenra cut them down with spirit brand while Nathaniel show the demons flanking them. Velanna caused a blizzard to freeze the rage demon while Anders shattered them with his rock-fist. After a few more waves of demons, the runestone glowed and the world flashed again…the party back where they were but this time, the storms were gone and a village was in its place. If it wasn't for the green sky of the Fade, the village would seem normal and quaint…the party walked with caution, this could be another trap by the demons. In the distance, they spotted a woman sitting by the lake mumbling to herself.

"No, my lady, I did not forget, I merely…" she said. "But I would never contradict your ladyship! No! I don't…" The woman suddenly stood up and turned her head to look at the party a haunted look was on her face as she backed away in fear. "No! Please, mu lady! Have mercy! No! No!" She gave a piercing scream as the woman ran away.

"What…just happened?" Anders asked.

"I don't know, but it looks like we're going to find out" Nathaniel said. "Look!" Demons approached behind them.

 _ **Back into the Fade…again! Next Time! Review and Comment!**_


	33. Chapter 33:Shadows of the Blackmarsh pt2

**Chapter 33: Shadows of the Blackmarsh pt2**

 _Some years ago, a dragon rampaged through the countryside, gorging herself on animals and people. Before long, she nested near the village of Blackmarsh. Fearing she would drag off villagers to feed her young, we sent men to drive the beast away. The men were never seen again._

 _The new baroness had till then done little for her people. But she emerged from her manor and told us not to worry-she'd been sent from Orlais not just to rule, but to protect. She promised the dragon would be gone by sundown the next day._

 _She set off in the morning, alone. We were certain she'd gone insane. What chance had one woman against a dragon? At sundown there came a loud clap, like thunder, so great it shook the earth. Then our baroness returned to us, triumphant; of the dragon, there was no sign._

 _The baroness, no longer aloof, sang and danced with the lowest of us. There were dark whispers that the baroness was a witch, but we did not care. Her magic had saved us, and for that we loved her.-From the records of the village of Blackmarsh_

 _ **Blackmarsh Undying-Outside the Village**_

The final demon fell and the party continued on their way deeper into the village. The party went in cautiously, it looked like an ordinary village but this was the Fade and you could not trust your senses here. They half expected for the land to shift and the party be transported to another part of the Fade. But so far nothing happened… "Nathaniel, you said magic destroyed the village, right?" Jenra asked.

"Yes, why?"

"I'm thinking Blackmarsh village was destroyed but moved into the Fade" he said. "In the Fade, nothing is real or constant but this place…I keep expecting the world to shift around me but nothing happens, I think the village is real"

"I agree but to survive in the Fade for so long, the villagers are resilient that's for sure" The party turned to corner and shades appeared and attacked. They soon made quick work of the demons and continued on. There was a gate that headed into the village proper but there was strong magic that sealed the gate shut so the party went around to the harbor. Along the 'harbor' near the village they have seen many bodies strung up and hung on the root constructs of the Fade. Demons couldn't have done this; they wouldn't have taken the time just to hang the bodies of their victims…no something else was at play. Up ahead they spotted a young woman dressed in red rags tending to some graves. The woman saw the party and was ready to run until she looked closer.

"You…you're not a spirit like everyone else. How did you get here?"

"Darkspawn used a spell suck us in" Anders said.

"You were forced to here?" she said. "Your clothing…it is quite strange"

"To us, you're the one wearing strange clothes" The woman tilted her in confusion.

"It is 9:30 Dragon, m'lady in the real world it been a hundred years since Blackmarsh village disappeared" Jenra said. The woman's eyes went wide as she slumped to the ground.

"A hundred years…I can't believe it"

"Understandable, the Fade has no sense of time" Velanna said. "To you and the villagers, it could have been hours or days"

"What are you doing?" Nathaniel asked.

"This is where my grandfather's ashes are buried, I come here to visit him often" she said. "He was the last person to stay in Blackmarsh, once he passed, there was nobody left in the village who remembered"

"You mean the ruins in the marsh"

"It wasn't always that way…then that evil woman came and changed everything, she…" The woman then gasped and pulled Jenra's hand, her eyes was full of fear. "They've come back again! Quickly, come hide in the crypt!" Growls could be heard around them, and the undead rose surrounding the party. Anders and Velanna used their magic to clear whole swaths of the undead away. Jenra blitzed through the skeletons and disrupted the spirits within with his spirit warrior abilities while Nathaniel gave cover fire. The woman came from behind of cover in awe.

"Y...you defeated them, no one's ever been able to defeat the undead"

"It takes more than the undead to defeat us" Anders said.

"Could it be? Have our prayers been answered?" the woman asked. "You must come with me, you can save us all"

"We've tried to get in but there is very strong magic at the front gates"

"Oh I know another way in, I came out here using the underground crypt" She walked away and unlocked the crypt gate and went inside, gesturing the party to follow them.

Anders crossed his arms. "The crypt? Really? Aren't more undead just going to attack us again?"

"You have a better way for us to get in, mage?" Nathaniel asked. The party followed the woman into the crypt.

* * *

 _ **Shadowy Crypt**_

This crypt used to be the burial grounds for the dead of Blackmarsh Village, now it is infested by the undead due to the free reign of spirits in the Fade. Only the very brave or very foolish enter these tombs now. Not soon after entering the crypt, the party was attacked the undead while the woman ran on ahead.

"I don't get it, why isn't she being attacked but we are?" Velanna asked.

"Ponder that after we get these things off of us" Anders cleansed the area of spiritual energy that dropped the undead. "That won't last for long, we need to catch up to that woman "The party ran on ahead fighting off the undead. They fell easily but the spirits of the Fade kept on restoring the undead numbers. Cleansing the area of mana seemed to work well to give the party time to breathe and move forward.

"I sure hope she knows where she's going, we're going to get overwhelmed before too long" The party went down a long corridor until they reached a large tomb where the villager was waiting for them. She had her back turned to them and was leaning against the wall, the party thought she was injured until she opened her mouth.

"And so you came…fell into my little trap" the woman said in a deep sinister voice. The feel of the air suddenly grew cold and ominous. Velanna sighed in exasperation.

"Not again, you have a knack for stumbling into traps, don't you?" The demon came forward with a large grin, quite pleased about the victims it has gained.

"Such wonderful creatures, you mortals. So full of yearnings, so full of hunger"

"Ugh, hunger demons…rare even in the Fade but no less nasty" Anders said. "They're gluttonous to a fault; even their fellow demons are not safe from them"

"So there was no girl, only you" Jenra said.

The demon chuckled. "Oh there was a girl…you should have seen her, the lengths she took to satiate her thirst" it said proudly. "She was my finest quarry, but alas she is starting to diminish and now I must feed once again" The demon glowed and took off the skin it wore to reveal its true form…a black wisp dressed in rags with one glowing eye that moved menacing between the members of the party. The demon could barely contain its excitement so much prey to choose from. It went after the mages; if it could consume them and their magic…the demon would be satisfied for a long time. Then it could trap to two non-mages in an eternal hell until it was ready to feed again.

To its surprise Jenra came from the side and wound the demon with a piece of the Fade. It hissed in pain and was about to retaliate until Nathaniel fired arrows at the demon. The demon wasn't used to its prey fighting back; it fell back and summoned more of the undead to soften the party up. The coffins opened up and the undead attacked the party…the mortals made quick work of the undead and went back to fighting the demon. Hunger cast a fire spell against the party but Anders cast a cleansing spell to cancel its spell as well as weaken it. Velanna summoned a fist made of stone and knocked it back while Nathaniel pelt it with arrows. The demon was now starting to realize that it might have chewed off more than it could handle. Outnumbered and outmatched the demon decided to run but it found that the mortals it was facing was not the type to let their enemies get away. Anders casts a repulsion glyph at the entrance to block its escape; Jenra ran toward the demon glowing like the Fade and ran his sword through the demon in one strike. The demon hissed as it started to fade, for the first time ever the hunger demon knew the fear of its victims. As the party was about to leave, a gentle voice spoke to them…they turned and saw the spirit of the young woman of the demon was wearing.

"You have released me, stranger" she said. "After being trapped for so long by my foolish desires, I can at last go. Thank you" The woman was gone and a crystal was left on the ground, Jenra picked it up and could feel power coming from it.

"What's this I wonder?" he asked. The crystal then glows and the crypt rumbled, revealing a path outside and then the crystal shattered in Jenra's hand. The party took the new path and got out of the crypt.

* * *

 _ **Blackmarsh Undying-The Village**_

Once outside the crypt, the party found themselves in the village proper. They came to the gate leading to the square and was stopped by a man in grey armor. "Halt! Who enters the Blackmarsh?"

"Think this is another demon?" Nathaniel asked.

"Somehow…I don't think so" Jenra said walking forward. "We are Grey Warden, trapped here"

"Trapped? So you're like us then, locked in this endless nightmare" the guard said. "We've been here so long, at her mercy. I almost forget what it was like before"

"There is a pair of spirits that's come to free us, perhaps you can help them?" If only that were possible…" The guard stepped aside and let the party enter the village, where they could hear yelling in the distance. Some people were inside their homes hiding from the dangers in the village…Jenra met eyes with the villagers, they quickly shut their windows. Further in a man in commoner clothes came running trying get more people to help fight whoever the village was up against.

"Hear me, people! She is evil incarnate!" a man yelled. "The countless evils I've seen her perpetrate in there…I'm ashamed to even recount them aloud!"

"She orders our children stolen in the night so she can…" Out of nowhere demons appeared and surrounded the man; his eyes went wide as the demons held him down. The man struggled but the demons were too strong. "No! Unhand me, you monsters!" he yelled. "Let me go! D-don't let them take! No!" Jenra and party were about to charge the demons but two figures appeared and fought of the demons. They were ethereal humanoids in the shape of armor-clad warriors one silver and the other gold, with one swipe of their ghostly swords they struck down the demons and helped the man up. "Oh bless you, bless you!"

"Join back with the others, you will be safer there" the silver spirit said. The man shook his head and ran away, the spirit then faced the hiding villagers and frowned. "Cowards! When will you fight for your fellow mortals?!"

"The injustices of the Baroness will not stop until you bring forth your…"

"Courage?" The gold spirit looked at Jenra and then ran to him to embrace him in a hug much to the shock of the other members of the party.

"Jenra, my old friend! It is good to see you again!"

 _ **Reunited with an old friend! And who is this Baroness? Next Time! As Always Review and Comment!**_


	34. Chapter 34:Shadows of the Blackmarsh pt3

**Chapter 34: Shadows of the Blackmarsh pt3**

 _The magic worked! I banished the dragon's essence to the Fade, but the enchantment was imperfect and the bond between spirit and physical body remained. The beast lay dormant long enough for me to rip her apart and scatter her about the marsh. That should suffice for now._

 _Had the spell failed, I would have perished. What was I thinking, working untried magic on such powerful beast? Ah, hindsight. So I saved this soggy cesspit. I don't know what that proves, but these are my lands now, and Orlais must not see me as a failure.—From the journal of the Baroness of the Blackmarsh_

 _ **Blackmarsh Undying-The Village**_

The party walked with the two spirits towards the sound of yelling in the village square. They were the spirits of Justice and Courage, two rare spirits even for the Fade. Of the two spirits, Courage seemed the most sociable with Justice being mostly stoic. The rest of the party was still surprised by Jenra knowing one of the spirits and even more surprising he was talking to it like an old friend. "So Jenra, how do you know this spirit?" Anders asked.

"Courage saved my life when I was a child" Jenra said. "I was very ill, the best herbalists and healers in the land couldn't help me"

"I was drawn to Jenra's will to live and to save him we formed a communion"

"You mean you possessed him" the mage said.

"We don't possess mortals, only demons do that" Justice said.

"Anyway, Courage used almost all of its power to heal me and lied dormant within me for years to recover" Jenra said. "I was when myself and my traveling companions from the Blight was trying save the Arl of Redcliffe that Courage recovered"

"It's also how I gained my Spirit Warrior abilities" he said. "So Courage, how did you and Justice get here?" In the Fade, time has no meaning in this realm so there was no telling when the two spirits arrived in this village. Justice was attracted by the injustices inflicted on the villagers by the Baroness; it was helping the villagers fight back again her demon army and preparing them for the task of taking back their own lives. As the villagers numbers grew so did their boldness and bravery and that bravery attracted Courage to them which constantly kept their morale high despite the losses they sustained. It was rare for spirits to meet each other and even rarer for them to work together due to their differing natures but the evil of the Baroness was too much for them to ignore.

"So who is this Baroness?" Velanna asked.

"She is or was the ruler of this village and she rules it through fear and death" Justice said. "I sensed a great darkness from her the first time I gazed at her, a darkness that can only attract a demon"

"So an abomination…" Nathaniel said.

"Yes but the Baroness is unique, usually a demon consumes all when they possess a mortal" Courage said. "But it seems the Baroness and the demon have melded, I don't know where the mortal ends and demon begins" The party made it to the central square where the villagers decked in armor and weapons were outside of the gate of a large mansion. The crowd soon stopped and dispersed to let them through, Justice came forward and pointed at the mansion.

"The mansion will not protect you, fiend! Come out and face your crimes!"

"We aren't afraid of you any longer!" one woman says. "The witch hides! Break down the door!"

"Caution, friends…the Baroness has power within her lair, and she knows it" Justice said. "We rush in at our peril"

"Justice, who are these people?" a man in brown armor asked.

"We are Grey Wardens trapped here"

The woman gasps. "Wardens? Here? First Justice and Courage and now Wardens…this is a sign from the Maker" she said. "My name is Elma, this is my husband Banon, once we lived in the real world and the Baroness ruled over…she took our children and used their blood for evil magicks"

"We burned down her mansion out of vengeance but then she cast one final spell that brought our spirits here" Banon said. "We have been trapped here ever since, still under her thumb"

"These spirits know the Fade, if we help then, then maybe they can help us in return" Nathaniel said.

"Why should we get involved at all, we have no quarrel with this Baroness" Velanna said. "And who's to say that they can even help us get out of the Fade"

"We can't just leave these people to their fates, aren't Grey Wardens supposed to help the helpless" Anders said.

"Your aid will be most welcomed, Jenra and as long as the Baroness is still free Justice and I are bound here unable to move on due to our natures" Courage said.

"We'll help you"

Justice nodded. "Then we have the numbers to challenge the Baroness numbers"

Velanna scoffed. "And so we waste our time with these cattle"

"Look at it this way, Velanna maybe you'll be able to get your hands on the secrets of this place"

"Perhaps…but I'm not holding my breath"

"Good people, we take the battle to the witch!" the spirit said. "For too long have her crimes gone unpunished! Now is the time to reclaim your freedom!" With Justice's words the people of village went into formation and bashed the gates while the Baroness' soldiers tried to hold them back. Alas they were soon overpowered and the villagers stormed the mansion, they soon stopped when the doors of the mansion opened and a beautiful woman dressed in regal clothing came out accompanied by ash wraiths. Her eyes was as red as blood and aura as black as night, the Baroness has shown herself.

"My, my…all that shouting and now you decided to barge in without proper invitation?" she said Baroness said coldly. "To be expected from filth rolling dog-lords"

"Ah yes, the sound of someone pleased with their own shit" Anders said dryly. "Only an Orleasian could make that sound"

"Foul sorceress! You will release these poor folk and submit yourself to justice!"

The Baroness gave a smug laugh. "Justice…is that what you are calling it?" she asked. "What of their punishment, burning down my home with me within it?"

Banon frowned. "You stole our children, witch! Using their blood to feed your vanity!"

"As was my right, peasant! I your rightful ruler was owed your blood and your lives for your privilege to live on my land"

"You disgust me" Jenra said coldly. "It was your duty to protect your people, their lives are not your playthings" The Baroness raised a brow, she had not seen the party around here before and after spending years in the Fade she recognized everyone in the village.

"What's this? The fools have managed to recruit more sympathizers?" she asked.

"They are mighty warrior here to turn the tides, Baroness! Your reign ends here!" Courage said.

The Baroness just laughed. "Might warrior? What a coincidence…" The door opens and the First walked beside her, Jenra and the darkspawn exchanged deadly glares at each other.

"To think, he was that far ahead of us" Nathaniel said. "Even though arrived in the Fade at the same time"

"My path back across the Veil lies in victory over you and your new allies. Then the Mother will pay for her treachery!"

"You should pick your pets more carefully, Baroness" Jenra said.

The Baroness scoffed and crossed her arms. "Instead I should have chosen you, mortal?"

"We must be ending this! Now! The Grey Wardens are more dangerous than you know!" The First said.

"Oh? As you wish, creature. Slay them and you shall have your reward" She then snapped her fingers and whisked Justice away while the First started their attack. The Baroness then let loose her ash wraiths to attack Justice with it were stunned. The First focused on Jenra while he was dealing with a genlock. The young lord and the darkspawn matched blow for blow with their swords, the First grabbed Jenra's neck and threw him across the courtyard. Jenra got his footing and charge his sword with spirit energy and slashed at the First as he charged….the blade hit its side and the darkspawn grasp his wound in pain.

As for Justice, the spirit did away with the Baroness' ash wraiths and faced the evil witch face to face. The Baroness was quickly seeing that her forces was losing ground and quickly. "No! You fool! Why haven't you crushed them?!" The First retreated to the side of the Baroness holding its side while it gushes darkened blood.

"They are too much! It must be sending me back through the Veil! Now, before it is too late!"

The Baroness gave a dark grin. "I shall sunder the Veil…I'll send them all back!" She then looked at the First. "But first I'll need power…" The First's eyes went wide when it realized what the Baroness had planned and was tried to run away. The Baroness glowed with magic and struck the First with a spell that used its life force to cleave the Veil. The tear sucked everything in its vicinity.

* * *

 _The Veil is weak near the stone circle. Perhaps it's my rituals, but I suspect it has always been weak here. I feel traces of old, ancient magic. Maybe this is what drew me here. I think the girls feel it too. As we approached the circle, they sensed something was wrong. With me? Did they fear me? Something about this place is changing them, claiming them for its own._

 _It is conceivable that using their blood to reinvigorate me traps their souls in the Fade. Perhaps they become the same demons, ghosts, spirits who invade my dreams. I-no, it doesn't matter. They are nothing-peasants!-while I am a Baroness of Orlais.-From the journal of the baroness of Blackmarsh_

 _ **The Blackmarsh**_

The party lied on the ground back in the real world knocked out, the rain above fell on their faces and stirred them awake. Jenra was the first to awake near Kristoff's body several days decayed with flies buzzing around the corpse…a fine image to wake up to. As he was about to get up and check the others, Kristoff's body started to glow and then it started to move much to the young lord's shock. The others have come to and joined Jenra just in time to see Kristoff's dead body coming back to life. 'Kristoff' looked around confused. "What…where am I? What is happening?" His dead glassy eyes grew wide in great horror. "No! This is the world of mortals, beyond the Veil!"

He then looked down and gasped. "A mortal shell of flesh…I am trapped! Damn that witch!"

"Justice, how are you here? And in Kristoff's body?" Nathaniel asked.

"The witch sundered the Veil in haste; all of us were drawn in"

"Except for the villagers and Courage, it seems" Jenra said. "The Baroness must not be far from us"

"Yes, what you say is true…I can feel her evil, the Baroness is nearby" Justice said. "We need to finish this, with the Veil sundered demons will continue to spill out of your world"

"I can alter you weapons for a time to help you drive back the Fade's magic…but we must deal with the Baroness quickly" The party nodded and went on their way to find the Baroness. Quickly they ran into trouble as Fade portals started popping up out of thin air… revenants and shades poured out and attacked the party. Justice raised his hand and a green aura surrounded Jenra's sword. "Warden, head for the portal and cut it down" he said. "We shall deal with the demons" Jenra nodded and headed for the portal with a single strike, the doorway was closed. He look out in the distance and his eyes went wide…Fade portals were everywhere, if this kept up Amaranthine would be overrun with demons.

 _ **A invasion of the Fade, time is of the essence! Next Time! As Always Review and Comment!**_


	35. Ch35:Shadows of the Blackmarsh-Aftermath

**Chapter 35: Shadows of the Blackmarsh-Aftermath**

 _They came to me fore help, these three maidens of the Blackmarsh. They were young, beautiful, vital, everything she desires. They gave me gold, jewels, and family heirlooms. I imagined their mothers and fathers, uncles and brothers pressing those treasures into their hands, enough to ransom a life promised to their baroness. I agreed to spirit them away from Blackmarsh._

 _She learned of it. She appeared the night before. Her eyes were like flat, dull stones; her hair was stringy and streaked with grey. And I saw why she needed the women. I hid them in my wagon. The youngest embraced me before she crawled between the bales of hay. She said, "Maker bless and watch over you." I drove them to the crossroads where the baroness's man waited. He took the wagon. Their families never knew._

 _The witch, as good as her word, brought me a chest of gold. She twirled like a little girl, eyes now sparkling. "You've earned every bit, merchant."_

 _The gold was no comfort. I saw their faces on each sovereign, heard their voices in the tinkling of the coins. I couldn't bear it. I buried it all in the deepest part of the marsh. Still, I found no peace. There will be no peace for me until I stand before the Maker.—Confession of Karsten Wilde_

 _ **The Blackmarsh**_

The Baroness looked up in the sky, her eyes marked with boredom…after seeing the mortal world in her dreams for many years, she expected much more. Instead she was greeted by the ruin down ruins of her mansion. "How very dull this world is, so immutable and unchanging" she said. "Yet…I have done it! I have crossed the Veil! The spirits will watch envious of my new kingdom and subjects!"

"Your evil will not be here long for you to enjoy it, demon" The Baroness could only look back at annoyance, it seems the spell she cast was a bit too strong…she wasn't expecting pests. The party drew their weapons ready to cut her down; from the wounds they had the party had a few run-ins with enemies.

"Ah, it seems I was not the only one to be drawn here…how very vexing"

"This is the end for you!" Jenra said.

The Baroness just gave a haughty chuckle. "I think not, soon I will be queen as this world deserves, and you will be the first of my subjects!" Her chuckle then grew into mad laughter as the Baroness' eyes glowed and split into multiple eyes. The elegant gown she wore tore as her body grew jagged and spikes burst from her body. She grew in size towering over the party, gave an inhuman roar. She became a powerful pride demon and attacked. "You will fall by my hand!"

Veil portals appeared all around them and demons poured out…it seems even with her new powerful form, the Baroness still couldn't resist having other fight her battles for her. "I shall rip holes into the Veil and tear this world asunder!" Anders cleansed the area of demons while Justice went to seal the portal. Velanna and Nathaniel gave cover to Jenra while he went in slashing at the demon's body. The Baroness swiped at him, but Jenra dodged and slashed her tendons. While she was on her knees, Jenra went for the head…the Baroness opened her maw and a blast of frost shot out. The young lord jumped to the side at the last minute but found his left leg slightly frozen leaving Jenra open to attack.

The Baroness grabbed Jenra and started to squeeze the life out of him, the demon sadistically giggle as she heard his armor crack. Before she could relish in the death of her enemy, the Baroness was slashed from behind by spiritual blade…the Baroness quickly dropped Jenra and faced Justice. "Your fight is with me, witch!"

"Are you proud of yourself, spirit? You have changed nothing!" Lightning shot from her claws, Justice held his ground and absorbed the magic. The spirit glowed and released a burst of energy that knocked the demon to the ground. Nathaniel, Anders, and Velanna hit the Baroness with everything they had…the demon slowly got up and prepared another magic attack. Out of nowhere, Jenra rushed and stabbed the back of the Baroness' head. Night-fang's fire rune glowed making the blade red hot, with a grunt Jenra sliced through the head. The Baroness let out an inhuman scream as it fell to the ground; her body disappeared along with the Fade portals she had opened. Jenra sat on the ground exhausted from the battle while Justice walked up to him.

"And so it is done" the spirit said. "And yet I am still trapped in this mortal shell"

"Couldn't we just kill Kristoff's body to release you?" Anders asked.

"There's no guarantee that the spirit will be released, it could just as easily fall with the corpse" Velanna said.

"For what it's worth, thank you. I have fulfilled my vow" Justice said.

"What happens to those people in the Fade?" Nathaniel asked.

"If they still had a living body they would be returning to our world" the elf said. "But since they don't, they can only exist within the Fade"

"No, the spirits believe there is a place beyond the Fade…wherever they have gone, I hope they know peace" Justice then grew silent, no doubt pondering his fate and what to do next. "It seems I cannot return to the Fade, I am trapped in the body of this…Grey Warden?"

"There are memories within this poor man's mind…they are foggy but …he was a Grey Warden?" he said confused. "He was slain by the darkspawn, the one called the First?"

"We Wardens fight the darkspawn" Jenra said.

"And that was your pursuit before you were imprisoned in the Fade? Yes, I understand now" the spirit said. "I am at a loss and this world is alien to me with only a few memories to draw from. I…do not wish to die"

"You seem to be a creature of good character and this is your world, could you advise me?" Justice asked. "I have no purpose here, and that is dangerous for all involved"

"Join me, the body you inhabit belonged to a Grey Warden" Jenra said. "If you need purpose, why not adopt ours?"

"Continue this mortal's mission? Hmm, it was a darkspawn who murdered this mortal most ignobly and the ones that commanded it yet live." He said. "To avenge his death…yes, that would be a purpose"

"Very well, I shall join you Grey Warden" The party left the Blackmarsh for the Keep, Jenra could just tell he was going to have a fun time explaining their 'newest' recruit to Varel.

* * *

 _ **Unknown**_

Back at the Mother's nest, one of the disciples cautiously entered the broodmother's lair. It had heard the news from the Blackmarsh…the First had failed to eliminate the Grey Wardens, which meant it had to report the news to the Mother. It was something the darkspawn was not looking for, the Mother was barely lucid on a good day but when she hears of failure no one was safe from her wrath. "M-Mother?"

One of the Mother's tentacle came across the Disciple and gently caressed the darkspawn face. The Mother was calm but the fear was still there, the situation could turn at any moment and that tentacle could go from gentle to crushing. "It comes with sweet news, I hope? Tell the Mother…"

"T-The First…it is dead. The Grey Warden have escaped the marsh" The Disciple could see the Mother's tentacles moving erratically, the darkspawn closed its eyes expecting the broodmother to lash out. But the blow never came.

"Wicked, wicked Wardens! They killed the First-killed him, cut out the Mother's heart…" She then pulled her hand to her face and then started to weep.

"But…was it not the Mother who wished him dead?" the Disciple asked nervously.

The Mother continued to weep this time so loud that it was echoing off the walls. "Dead…no…" Then suddenly the broodmother started to giggle until it became loud unhinged laughter. "Peace! I wished him peace! To find the song again…to hear the sweet call…"

"We are all lost. But the day will come when the silence ends, even for me" The Mother said in a hissing rage.

* * *

 _Dearest Kristoff,_

 _My sister and her babe are well. I shall leave Jader as soon as they're settle, Elena has been asking about you frequently…she misses her father. Expect me at Vigil's Keep within the month. Ferelden is cold and wet, so make sure your socks are dry before you put them on. I know how it is with men. You can slay a thousand darkspawn, but when it comes to clean clothes and dry socks, you're hopeless!_

 _We can't wait to see you._

 _Love, Aura_

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

The party made good time and made it back to the Keep with plenty of light in the sky. As they approached the Keep, a fair-skinned woman was standing by the well…she was dressed in common clothes of dark blue and gold. Her hair was shoulder-length and brown with a braids tied to the back. Justice all of the sudden became unsteady, memories started to flash in his mind…Kristoff's memories, he knows this woman. The woman turned and with tears in her eyes, gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "Kristoff! Oh, thank the Maker!"

"Oh dear…" Jenra said. Varel had told him about Kristoff before his search, before he became a warden Kristoff was a family man. He had a wife and a young daughter that he would not stop talking about when he was at the Keep. Despite that happy life, Kristoff joined the Wardens because of family tradition as his father was a Warden as well as his grandfather.

"I fear you are mistaken, mortal"

The woman was taken aback. "K-Kristoff? Why are you…? Surely you jest, its me…Aura" Justice had no reaction to the name, and Aura looked at Jenra. He knew what was coming and it would not be easy to explain. "Wha-What has happened?"

"Everyone…why don't you go in and rest?" Anders, Nathaniel, and Velanna all understood and went inside the Keep while Jenra and Justice stayed behind. "M'lady, you may want to sit down…" he said. "Kristoff was killed by darkspawn"

Aura at him confused. "Killed? But he's standing right here!" Right when Jenra was going to explain the whole story, Justice spoke up.

"Your husband is gone and I inhabit this body now. His death will be avenged, I assure you" Jenra closed his eyes and sighed as Aura eyes went wide and she took a step back. When the shock wore off, it was replaced with grief and anger.

"Avenged? You've desecrated his body! How dare you!" Justice then started to understand the gravity of this; Aura believed he was demon inhabiting her husband's body.

"It was not intentional. There was-"

"Get away from me!" She ran away from the Keep in tears and a look of shame appeared on Justice's face.

"This body has memories of this woman…Aura. I did not know she would come"

"Neither did I…poor woman. I suppose no amount of explaining would help"

"I must rectify this, somehow. Intentionally or not, I have done this woman a great disservice" Justice said. "My memories suggest her home is in Amaranthine. I will prey on me if we don't seek her out"

"Before you do anything rash, just give it some days…Aura needs to grieve for her husband" Jenra said. "You'll only make things worse at this point"

"I…very well, I trust in your judgement" the spirit said. "The darkspawn calls to our attention" The two of them headed for the throne room, it was time to introduce Varel to Justice. Before he could step inside, Jenra was met with a couple of soldiers with their weapons out pointing at Justice. Jenra sighed…another trouble to clear up.

 _ **New allies, new troubles…Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	36. Chapter 36: Past Regrets

**Chapter 36: Past Regrets**

 _ **City of Amaranthine**_

Sigrun was out walking through the city, since Jenra and the others were out and it has been quiet back at the Keep. The dwarf wanted to absorb all she could about the surface world, since it was going to be her new home from now on. She was still getting used to the sights and smells but compared to the Deep Roads and Dust Town, it was significant improvement. Sigrun was also getting used to the culture shock of the surface, for example on the surface the rich and the poor lived relatively closer while the casteless were sectioned off from the rest of Orzammar. Another thing that was strange was how the power structure worked, on the surface a poor man could work hard to become a noble while a single scandal could drop an entire noble family into peasantry and irrelevance. Of course it wasn't perfect…no place was but there was something comforting about how the surface did things.

She had wondered if maybe things would have been different if she had decided to just take off for the surface than join the Legion of the Dead. While Sigrun was deep in thought, she had accidently bumped into another person. "Oh! Sorry about that, I…why you ungrateful, backstabbing duster!" That voice…that familiar voice snapped Sigrun out of her thoughts, her eyes went wide when she saw an angry red-haired dwarven woman dressed in a green and brown dress.

"M-Mischa!" The woman walked around Sigrun, gazing at her with the same look of anger on her face. Sigrun took it, she deserved it…Mischa was once of the Merchant Caste in Orzammar and one of the good ones who didn't look down on dusters like her. She believed that casteless dwarves turned to crime because they had no other options, Mischa was right of course but the other casters didn't believe her. One day she caught Sigrun trying to steal a leg of nug, Mischa could have told…after all stealing from a caste higher than you was punishable by exile or death if that person was a duster. Instead she paid for it and then employed Sigrun to keep her out trouble…in which Mischa would come to regret doing.

"Well, well look at you in that fancy Legion armor" Mischa hissed. "When you die, you get to rejoin the ancestors but not me though, but maybe that was the Stone's way of punishing me for believing there was anything more to you duster filth" Usually Sigrun didn't care what casters thought about her, but this was different Mischa believed in her and she let her down. One day the Carta, led by Beraht at the time, stole a gold statuette of House Bemot depicting their Paragon, a crime if caught results in death.

Sigrun lowered her head. "I...I tried to say no, but Beraht said he'd kill you if I refused" she said. "He needed to get rid of it"

"House Bemot could have had me executed! You could've spoken up, told them the truth"

"But then Beraht would have killed me…"

"And that cowardice cost me everything" Mischa said coldly. She then looked away in disgust. "I have to deliver these skins to the tanner, need to make a living somehow" She pushed past Sigrun. "Out of my way, brand" Sigrun was used to be called this but coming from Mischa, it stung worse than usual.

Sigrun sighed. "It's in the past, it's in the past…" The dwarf left Amaranthine, all of the sudden she didn't feel like exploring right now.

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Throne Room**_

Back at the Keep, Jenra was able to calm things down before it got out of control. Nevertheless Captain Elias had the soldiers at the ready just in case. Anders was also called in to use his cleansing as things from the Fade tend to attract other things from the same place. Varel turned to face Justice as much as he understood the situation, the seneschal was still disturbed by all of it especially the fact he was speaking to a spirit that was using a dead body as a puppet. "I see, Kristoff was a good man…it is a shame to see his body like this" he said. "And you are certain you cannot leave spirit?"

"Yes I am sure, I had thought destroying the witch would free me from this shell but I was mistaken" Justice said. "Perhaps I was drawn to Kristoff's body because of the injustice of his death"

"Plus it was better for Justice to come with us rather than wonder the countryside and causing panic" Jenra said.

"You don't have anything to worry about; my good man…the Wardens purpose is now my purpose"

Anders crossed his arms. "You keep going on and on about purpose, you even said that a lack of one was a danger to everyone involved" he said. "What did you mean by that?"

"You mortals believe that spirits and demons are different, but in reality we are the same" Justices explains. "We are beings bound by purpose and being deprived of that purpose twists us…making us demons"

"Of course being in this strange of yours would have also turned me"

"So now that we are keeping him around…where are going to put him?" Anders asked.

"If I may, Warden…I would like to stay with the mage here"

Anders eyes went wide. "Uh why?"

"You are familiar, you remind me of the Fade "Justice said simply.

"W-Why not stay with Velanna? She's a mage also" Anders said. "Plus, no offense you smell" The mage looked and went pale with dread as he saw Jenra and Varel contemplating this. "Oh come on! You're not actually thinking…?"

"If something was to happen, you could cleanse the Keep of the Fade's presence" Anders sighed, the subject was closed…he was going to have a new unwanted roommate.

"Fine, could you at least pass me the perfume so I can mask the smell"

Jenra and Varel smelled the air and cringed…despite Justice inhabiting Kristoff's body, that didn't stop the decomposition process. "Take as much as you need" Anders walked away with Justice following him to see his new accommodations. Varel gave a frown. "To be able to trap you in the Fade like that…these darkspawn are growing in power, we need to find their nest and wipe them out"

"Easier said than done, Vael…unless you have an idea of where they could be" Jenra said.

"I do, but there's a problem of passage…apparently this is a place only dragons can access" the Seneschal said. "And supposedly it is cursed; I'm having trouble finding men with steel in their spines to scout that area"

Jenra sighed. "Just what we need…more cursed areas" he said. "Send the maps to my quarters, I'll see if there's some other path we can use for…"

"The Dragonbone Wastes, my lord"

"Ah…of course" Jenra left the throne for his room, after today he could use a good soak in the tub to wash away the stress of today. As he was walking down the halls, Jenra bumped into someone. "My apologies…oh Sigrun, hello there"

"Oh Commander…sorry I didn't see you" Jenra tilted his head, this wasn't like the dwarf. Sigrun was usually peppy and enthusiastic about everything, to the point Jenra didn't think the woman could do sad. Something must have happened, Jenra and Sigrun walked and talked but whatever was bothering the dwarf, she wasn't talking. They turned corner and they were in library, Sigrun's eyes lit up. "Wow, I've never seen so many books in my life"

"And every one is about mabari hounds. Boring" Jenra jokes.

"Not all of them, this one is a Nevarran romance…pretty spicy, too" Sigrun then read a passage and then tilted her head. "What's an Antivan milk sandwich?" She read further and then blushed. "I'll just…put this back"

"I've only read one book. My friend Varlan taught me while we were in the Legion, his only book" she said. "He's dead"

"Tell me about him"

"He was a former noble from House Vollney, how he ended up with the Legion he wouldn't say" Sigrun said. "I see so many friends die and I'm still alive…the thieving, lying rotten duster"

"Something happened to you, didn't it?"

"Was waiting for that, were you?" Sigrun asked. "I met someone from my past, before I joined the Legion. Her name is Mischa; she was one of the few casters to treat me well before I screwed up"

"Screwed up how?" Jenra asked.

"Beraht, he was the leader of the Carta before Jarvia took over" she said. "He stole the statuette of House Bemot's Paragon, when he needed to hide it…he came and forced me to help hide the statuette in Mischa's shop"

"Eventually it was found…Mischa came close to being executed but House Bemot didn't push for her execution, so she was exiled to the surface" she said. "I'll never forget the look she gave me when the guards took her away; I proved to her that I was the scum they always said"

"You're not the person you used to be"

"The Legion changes people, for better or worse, but we all change" Sigrun said. "I lost many friends, good ones and that friendship isn't something to be squandered…I know that now"

"Perhaps I could make amends" Sigrun pulled Jenra's hand to her quarters, her room was quite the mess compared to her roommate Velanna. "Slag it, where is it?" she asked digging into pile. "Aha!" Sigrun pulled out a gold ring with blue lyrium engravings at front was a symbol of an Deep Roads animal that have been long extinct.

"A ring?"

"Not just any ring, this ring bears the crest of House Vollney" Sigrun said. "Varlan gave it to me on the day he died, said he didn't want such priceless heirloom in the hands of darkspawn"

"You sure you want give away something that special? For someone who may not forgive anyway?" Jenra asked.

"I need to make this right, Varlan would understand"

* * *

 _ **City of Amaranthine-The Crown and Lion**_

The Crown and Lion is Amaranthine's premier tavern, it's a popular place for travelers, hunters and soldiers of the Keep. It also infamous for its alleged shady dealing with smugglers, apparently there's an underground cove where smugglers move their contraband although it is only a rumor. The tavern was quite busy and there was Mischa working hard to sate the patrons' thirst but from the looks of it, she didn't enjoy it. Sigrun explained that Mischa took pride in being her own boss; every day she took order from someone else was like another piece of her soul cut away. Mischa places a jug on the table and then turned and frowns when she saw Sigrun.

"You? Going to get me kicked out of Amaranthine, too?"

Sigrun sighed. "I know that nothing I say will make things better, so I…want to give this to you"

Mischa scoffed. "A ring? What is this, a proposal? You're not my type"

"It…it'll fetch a fair price, even on the surface" Sigrun said. "Maybe this can help you rebuild your life"

"This crest…it looks like House Vollney, stole this off a noble, did you?" Jenra came up and placed his hand on Sigrun's shoulder.

"Sigrun, keep the ring. I'll give Mischa some gold"

Mischa crossed her arms. "How much are we talking? This thing's at least worth twenty sovereigns"

"It's old, very old. At best you could get fifteen for that"

"Hmm, true and one of the gems is chipped. I'll take your fifteen, I can do a lot with fifteen" Mischa said. "Well, well you've got you've got a true friend, Sigrun. Try not to ruin it, and here's your ring…must be very important if you're willing give it up"

Sigrun took the ring and grasped it closely to her heart. "It is, thank you, Mischa"

"This…will go a long way, you've done right Sigrun" Sigrun's eyes lit up as Mischa walked away probably to tell the owner she quits. Jenra and Sigrun headed back to the Keep.

"You didn't have to do that, Jenra"

"You are right, I didn't but I wanted to" Jenra said. "You are not just a duster, you are a valuable part of our order…I hope you know that"

Sigrun smiled. "I know that, Commander, trust me…I know"

 _ **Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	37. Chapter 37: Breaking the Chains

**Chapter 37: Breaking the Chains**

 _It is not uncommon for the neophyte to mistake apostates and maleficarum as one and the same. Indeed, the Chantry has gone to great lengths over the centuries to establish that this is so. The truth, however, is that while an apostate is often a maleficar, he need not be so. A maleficar is a mage who employs forbidden knowledge such as blood magic and the summoning of demons, whereas an apostate is merely any mage who does not fall under the auspices of the Circle of Magi (and therefore the Chantry). They are hunted by the templars, and quite often they will turn to forbidden knowledge in order to survive, but it would be a lie to say that all apostates begin that way. Historically, apostates become such in one of two ways: They are either mages who have escaped from the Circle or mages who were never part of it to begin with. This latter category includes what we tend to refer to as "hedge mages"—those with magical ability out in the hinterlands who follow a different magical tradition than our own. Some of these hedge mages are not even aware of their nature. Undeveloped, their abilities can express themselves in a variety of ways, which the hedge mage might attribute to faith, or will, or to another being entirely (depending on his nature). Some of these traditions are passed down from generation to generation, as with the so-called "witches" of the Chasind wilders or the "shamans" of the Avvar barbarians. No matter how a mage has become apostate, the Chantry treats them alike: Templars begin a systematic hunt to bring the apostate to justice. In almost all cases, "justice" is execution. If there is some overriding reason the mage should live, the Rite of Tranquility is employed instead. Whether we of the Circle of Magi believe this system fair is irrelevant: It is what it is.—From Patterns within Form, by Halden, First Enchanter of Starkhaven, 8:80 Blessed._

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

It was night time at the Keep; most of the fortress was asleep except for the servants that were finishing their cleaning and a skeleton crew of soldiers keeping watch. In the library, Justice was rummaging through books to learn more about the world he was trapped in. And because he was a spirit and the body he inhabited a corpse, sleep had no meaning to him which meant he could research this world to his heart's content. But alas despite the many tomes in this room, many of its contents were useless and the seemingly useful ones confounded the spirits. To mortals the Fade was an alien place where time had no meaning and the world constantly shifts due to either one's whims or the Fade's whims. The opposite holds true for spirits, the mortal world made little sense to spirits like him for it is constant, unchanging…how mortals didn't go mad from living in such a mundane world eluded Justice. Out of the corner of the spirit's eye, Justice saw something sneaking around the Keep.

It was Anders, Justice tilted his head…what could the mage be doing when everyone was asleep? The spirit decided to follow Anders. The mage manage to reach the closed front gate, he hugged the wall to ensure the guards could not see. When the guards protecting the front gates moved, Anders smirked. "Coast is clear"

"What are you doing, mage?" Anders jumped and bangs his foot on a wagon; the mage quickly stifled his cries of pain as he looked back.

"Justice, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be…?" Anders caught himself knowing how that sounded. Sensing the window for leaving closing, the mage took the spirit's hand and ran out of the gate before the guards came back. They headed into the forest. "You almost got us both caught, spirit" Anders sighed. "Since you're here, come on"

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm not deserting the Wardens if that's what you mean" Anders said. "I got business in Amaranthine; I would like to get it done before dawn"

* * *

 _ **City of Amaranthine**_

The streets of Amaranthine were quiet with only a few guards out on patrol and some drunks coming from the tavern. Justice and Anders went into the alleys to get away from unwanted company; in the corner to the west was a tanned elven woman with short brown hair in dark grey armor leaning against the wall, tapping her foot impatiently. She turned her head and walked toward them. "Oy! About time you show up!" she looked at Justice. "Didn't know you were bringing company"

"He's not company, he tagged along" Anders said. "Did you find it?"

"Yeah I did, your hunch was right the cache is here in Amaranthine" the elf said. "It in an abandoned warehouse at the harbor, can't miss it"

Anders nodded. "Thanks" he said reaching into pocket. "As promised" He gave a sack of sovereigns to the elf.

"Nice doing business with you, Anders" she said walking away. The elf then turned around. "Oh and try not to get caught, I'm not helping you again"

Justice tilted his head. "Who was that woman?" he asked.

"That was Namaya, an acquaintance of mine. Last time I escaped from the Circle, I asked her to look into some things" Anders said. "I'm searching for my phylactery in that cache, so I can destroy it" Mages in the Circle know that they are closely watched at all times for evidence of blood magic and demon summoning. One false step out of line, the Templars won't hesitate to execute a mage or worse…make one tranquil. This environment of looking over the shoulder while watching one's actions cause many mages to want to seek freedom from under the Chantry's thumb, to live their own lives. Such attempts often fail before they even start, and even if a mage is outside they are not truly free. Phylacteries are a Templar's tool to find and recover apostates. When a Templar wishes to track down a fugitive mage they will use the phylactery as a way of homing in on the fugitive by way of a "hot and cold" situation, i.e., the phylactery glows, becoming brighter the closer it gets to its respective mage. If the mage dies, the phylactery will no longer glow. It can be even used to remotely cast a spell on its owner mage.

"You struggle against your oppression" Justice said.

Anders snorted. "I avoid my oppression. That's not quite the same thing, is it?"

"Why do you not strike a blow against your oppressors? Ensure they can do this to no one else?"

"Because it sounds difficult?"

Justice frowned. "Apathy is a weakness"

"So is death, just saying" He said dryly. "Anyway let's go, that phylactery won't destroy itself" The duo headed to the harbor district, one of the major economical areas in Amaranthine and like the rest of the city it was quiet and empty. The only sound that could be heard was the wind, the waves, and the creaking of the ships stationed in the harbor. Anders and Justice found the warehouse on the west end; it wasn't the model of upkeep but served its purpose well. They made their way in easily…a little too easy.

"No guards?" Anders asked. "Maybe they don't want to draw attention? Could we be that lucky?" The mage started his search, so nothing seemed out of the ordinary it should have put Anders at ease but instead the mage was tense. It didn't make any sense, a cache of phylacteries and no one to guard them, were the Templars incompetent or was this a scheme of theirs. Either way Anders could not walk away, he was too close to true freedom. The mage made it to the back room; he went into cover and looked over. The back room was well lit and Anders could hear movement of metal and large shadows moving…Templars. "Oh course…" Anders and Justice went into the next room where the three Templars were waiting for him. Two of them were fully armored but the last Templar Anders recognized.

* * *

 _ **Then**_

 _One of the Templars eyes went wide and stepped forward with her sword drawn. The mage sighed, he knew what was coming. "And here it comes…"_

" _King Alistair! Your Majesty, beware! This man is a dangerous criminal!"_

 _Alistair raised a brow. "Oh, the dwarf can be an arse but he's not that bad"_

 _Anders raised his hand. "Yeah, hi she means the charming apostate over here, unfortunately"_

" _Humph, at least you admit you are criminal despite your glibness" she said. "You will return to the Circle to face justice!"_

 _Anders rolled his eyes. "Spare me, the things you people know about justice would fit into a thimble" he said. "I'll just escape again, anyhow"_

" _Never! I will see you hanged for what you've done here, murderer!"_

" _My, aren't we quick to conclusions…I'd explain what really happened here, but I doubt you'd hear me with you head so far up your arse" The Templar glared at the mage, and Anders looked unfazed…Jenra had to admit, the mage was bold but he really wasn't helping his case. The young lord decided to step in, there was enough blood spilled today._

" _M'lady Templar, Anders was not responsible for the tragedy here…in fact he helped us fight back against the darkspawn here" Jenra said. "We are currently lacking in magic right now, I would like for Anders stay and assist us"_

" _What?" The Templar said outraged. "Never! I will not allow this!"_

" _Unfortunately m'lady you have no say here…I hereby conscript this mage into the Grey Wardens" The Templar sputtered and stammered as she looked at Alistair to put a stop at this._

 _Alistair just shrugged. "Don't look at me, it's out of my hands" The Templar walked away seething with anger, Anders stood there in disbelief this was the first time anyone stood up for him._

* * *

 _ **Now**_

"And here I believed the infamous Anders wouldn't take the bait"

"Rylock, I should have known it would be you" Anders said.

"Yes, I'll make sure that you pay for your crimes, apostate" Rylock said coldly.

Justice looked at Anders. "Crimes?"

Andres frowned. "My only 'crime' is that I wish to live my life without the so-called 'champions of the just' breathing down my neck" he said. "Besides, you can't arrest me, King Alistair allowed my conscription"

"The Chantry's authority supersedes the crown in the matter; you cannot hide within the Grey Wardens' ranks"

The mage gave humorless chuckle. "Just like you fucking Templars to change the rules when it suits you" Anders said. "I'm not going back; you'll have to kill me first"

"By capture or by death, the Maker's will shall be done" Rylock signaled her men to flank Anders and prevent his escape…as if could, the Templars more than likely used magic item to seal the entrance. Before Anders could cast a spell, the Templars held up their arms and a force hit him preventing the mage from using his spell. Justice rushed from the doorway and knocked away the first templar and came in front of Anders with sword drawn. Rylock and the other templar backed away slowly, shocked at seeing the spirit's decayed body in full view.

"Maleficarum…hardly surprising, the Grey Warden have ever been a haven for your kind" Rylock said. "Take them" The battle was long with many close calls to the mage, half the time Anders was able to get a fireball off and the other times he had to rely of Justice to cover him. When the battle was done, Rylock and her Templars were dead on the ground…Anders took the bodies and dumped them into the sea, dead Templars in the middle of town would have caused a panic that the mage didn't need. He found the cache and his phylactery; he crushed it under his heel his freedom was forever secured.

"Thanks for your help, Justice"

"No thank you is needed, justice needed to be done" Justice came over to the rest of the cache and shattered the rest of the phylacteries. "You have a responsibility to your fellow mages"

Anders sighed. "This again? You know, you are awfully self-righteous for a spirit"

"You have seen oppression and are now free. You must act to free those who remain oppressed"

"Or I could mind my business, in case the Chantry comes knocking" Justice frowned at his glibness and Anders just sighed. "Don't you think I want to do something? Even if we mages wanted to fight for our freedom, we one don't have any allies thanks to Chantry propaganda and two we're outnumbered, they would slaughter us"

"But that is not right…not just. If you will not stand for your brethren, who will?"

"Yes, well…welcome to the world, spirit" Anders said bitterly. "Let's go, I want be back at the Keep before dawn" The mage and the spirit walked away.

 _ **Freedom for some but not all…Next Time! As Always Review and Comment!**_


	38. Chapter 38: Justice for Kristoff

**Chapter 38: Justice for Kristoff**

 _The Maker's first creations were the spirits, glorious beings that populated the many spires of the Golden City, and the Chant of Light says that they revered the Maker with unquestioning devotion. The Maker, however, was dissatisfied. Although the spirits were like Him in that they could manipulate the ether and create from it, they did not do so. They had no urge to create, and even when instructed to do so possessed no imagination to give their creations ingenuity or life. The Maker realized His own folly: He had created the spirits to resemble Him in all but the one and most important way: they did not have a spark of the divine within them. He expelled all the spirits out of the Golden City and into the Fade and proceeded to His next creation: life._

 _The Maker created the world and the living beings upon it, separated from the Fade by the Veil. His new children would be unable to shape the world around them and thus would need to struggle to survive. In return for their struggle, the Maker gave them the spark of the divine, a soul, and He watched with pleasure as His creations flourished and showed all the ingenuity that He had hoped for. The spirits grew jealous of the living and coaxed from them into the Fade when they slept. The spirits wished to know more of life, hoping to find a way to regain the Maker's favor. Through the eyes of the living, they experienced new concepts: love, fear, pain, and hope. The spirits re-shaped the Fade to resemble the lives and concepts they saw, each spirit desperately trying to bring the most dreamers to their own realm so they could vicariously possess a spark of the divine through them._

 _As the spirits grew in power, however, some of them became contemptuous of the living. These were the spirits that saw the darkest parts of the dreamers. Their lands were places of torment and horror, and they knew that the living were strongly drawn to places that mirrored those dark parts of themselves. These spirits questioned the Maker's wisdom and proclaimed the living inferior. They learned from the darkness they saw and became the first demons. Rage, hunger, sloth, desire, pride: These are the dark parts of the soul that give demons their power, the hooks they use to claw their way into the world of the living. It was demons that whispered into the minds of men, convincing them to turn from the Maker and worship false gods. They seek to possess all life as their due, forging kingdoms of nightmare in the Fade in the hopes of one day storming the walls of heaven itself._

 _And the Maker despaired once again, for He had given the power of creation to his new children—and in return they had created sin.- From The Maker's First Children, By Bader, Senior Enchanter of Ostwick, 8:12 Blessed._

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Armory**_

In the armory, soldiers came and go taking what they needed from the room. While this was going on Justice was in corner staring at a large white iron chest…this has been going on for enough time where the soldiers were concerned. Justice could sense their fear of him but ignored them for the iron chest…that chest once belonged to Kristoff, the body the spirit now inhabited. Flashes of memories appeared in his mind, memories of when Kristoff received the items in that chest. A dagger that once belonged to Kristoff's grandfather, that passed on to his father and then to him. A scarf knitted by his mother, a sweater knitted by Aura, a makeshift sculpture made by Kristoff's young daughter…they were fond memories for Kristoff but for the spirit the memories were alien and was tearing him apart.

"Justice" The spirit looked back to see Jenra and then looked back at the chest. "From the panic in one of the soldier's voice, I thought you turned demon but here you are staring at that chest"

"This chest was once owned by the man whose body I now inhabit" the spirit said. "I feel nothing for these objects, and yet his essence lingers like dust"

"You can feel it?" Jenra asked.

"Not just feel it…I hear it, I see flashes of when Kristoff received these items" Justice got up and touched the chest, gently caressing it…not the spirit's doing but rather Kristoff's memories. Justice stopped and regained control. "In the Fade, nothing outlives the spirit that created it" he said. "But here everything does, this world has footprints on top of footprints...witnesses to beings long dead"

"Interesting, can you tell anything from these 'fingerprints'?"

"I have no words for it" Justice said. "Kristoff…we intend to avenge him?"

"Yes, but it will take time to find them" Jenra said.

"Time…" the spirit scoffed. "What a useless thing…but there is nothing that can be done just yet, is there?"

"There is something that can be done, we can give closure to Kristoff's wife" Jenra said. "Maybe putting her at ease will put parts of Kristoff at ease and give you peace of mind"

"I would like that, when do we go?"

* * *

 _ **Imperial Highway**_

Jenra and Justice set off for Amaranthine; there was little delay because of a storm that blew through the area. Due to how strong the storm was going on horseback was out of the question…it was probably for the best anyway as Justice's prescience scared the horses. They went on foot where Justice looked at the sky with awe…a rainbow; the spirit had never seen a rainbow before. The sky of the mortal world was so different from the Fade's sky, in the Fade the sky was always an emerald green with the Golden City in the distance…it was the only constant in the ever-changing Fade but mortal sky, it changed all the time…sometimes its blue, sometimes its gray, and sometimes things like rainbows show up. For such a mundane world, there was such beauty to experience.

"This world is nothing like I thought it would be" Justice said.

Jenra looked at the sky and chuckled. "Yeah, the world can be something else at times" he said. "Can't remember the last time I just sat down and bask in it…is it like that for spirits, too?"

"The demons lust to cross the Veil, but the rest of us scoff. We pity mortals, we do not envy them"

"Have you ever thought about helping us, instead?" Jenra asked. Justice just scoffed, Jenra made it sound so simple. Spirits considers mortals to be beyond their reach due to the Veil and beyond whatever help they could give because of their strange natures. Just as spirits are alien to mortals, mortals were incomprehensible to spirts. And yet still…there was something about this world and its inhabitants, maybe just maybe the demons see something that the spirts are missing.

"We are wrong about this world…there is beauty here and the mortals, they are worth saving" Justice said. "You helped in the Fade and sense a just heart within you. It is not right to judge all mortals the same"

"Glad you approve"

"I wonder…may I make a request?"

"I suppose, what is it?" Jenra asked.

"I've read about something in this world you call lyrium, might you find an object made from it?" Justice asked.

"You're no mage, what would you need lyrium for?"

"I always liked being near the lyrium mounds in the Fade, there was something comforting about them" Justice said. "And here in the mortal world it sings"

Jenra raised a brow. "It…sings?"

"The sound is something only a spirit could hear, but it summons an ache I didn't know I had" Jenra looked at the spirit incredulously, the spirit was homesick….something he didn't even know they could feel. But after his initial shock, Jenra's features soften.

"I'll see what I can do"

"Thank you that is most kind" They made their way to Amaranthine.

* * *

 _ **City of Amaranthine**_

Justice and Jenra began their search for Kristoff's wife Aura, they asked around the city. According to people that knew Aura, she worked for one of the nobles while Kristoff was off doing his duty but one day she just quit. It was so sudden but Jenra understood why, who could work while grieving for a loved one. Aura has been seen often going to the Chantry and staying for hours…it was very likely that she was there. Justice and Jenra headed the Chantry in the middle of the city, as they got near they could see a statue of Andraste greeting them. Flashes of memories flooded in, Kristoff would often pray to Andraste and the one the mortals called the Maker. It was under the Maker's gaze that Kristoff and Aura wed, they were memories that filled him was comfort and happiness.

"Do you believe in this Maker as Kristoff did?" Justice asked.

"That question came out of nowhere…" Jenra said. "I don't know what to believe…I believe there was an Andraste at one point, but if there is a Maker I don't know"

"In the Fade, some spirits believe a creator gave us life and separated from this world" the spirit said. "But do they really believe or they believe it because they saw it in the dreams of mortals?"

"So much of the Fade is created by spirits desperate to emulate your kind"

"So spirits are trying to find meaning in this world, that's not so different from us, mortals" Jenra said.

"But here, you can be certain that what is had always been. Do mortals find that comforting?" Justice asked. "Faith requires structure and belief, something we spirits in the Fade do not have"

"I see why the demons are so eager to pass through the Veil…it is something to consider" They reached the Chantry and went inside. Luckily there were either not many people inside or many of the faithful were focused on their prayers to the Maker. Up ahead was Aura wearing a dark gold and gray dress praying to a vigil no doubt for Kristoff.

"Justice, like we discussed slowly and calmly" Jenra said. "We don't want to be seen as a threat" Justice nodded and approached Aura alone, what was this feeling he had? Nervousness? Fear of not being forgiven? Or was it shame that he still wearing her husband's body like what the demons do?

"Aura, please do not be alarmed" Aura looked back and gave shocked gasp. "I…do not wish to frighten you" There was no anger or fear from Aura, just a look of sadness…sadness that resonated with Kristoff's body. Memories of Kristoff waking up wounded with Aura next to him sobbing thinking he would not wake up…that day he made a vow to never make her cry ever again. A vow he sadly failed at.

"You. You are the…in my husband's body"

"Not by choice, good woman, I am a spirit of Justice" he said. "I never meant your husband ill will…I would ease your distress, had I the power"

Aura sighed and lowered her head. "I…knew, when he left, that this could happen" she said sadly. "He told me, his father died as a Grey Warden…as did his grandfather"

"Tell me, is there anything I can do for you? Tell me and I will do it" the spirit said. "You have my word as the spirit of Justice"

"Avenge him, spirit. I will wait for his ashes a little longer, if it means that whoever did this to him will pay" Justice place his arm around his heart and bowed to the woman.

"It shall be done" Aura came closer to Justice and with tears in her eyes gently placed her hands on Kristoff's face. It was so cold to the touch, the beautiful brown eyes that she fell in love with was replaced with dead grey ones.

"Goodbye, my love" She walked away.

"Goodbye, my rose" Aura stopped for second and then walked out of the Chantry. Jenra walked up to Justice. "And she is gone. Did I…did I do the right thing?"

"I think so, yes…she'll still have that pain but at least she will live her life"

"She loved Kristoff a great deal, and he loved her in return" Justice said. "I…envy what they had and angered that the darkspawn would destroy something so pure"

"Thank you for bringing me here, I look forward to punishing such evil" Jenra and Justice left the church.

 _ **A New Resolve! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	39. Chapter 39: Declaration of War pt1

**Chapter 39: Declaration of War pt1**

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

Justice was in the library reading, something that has become a hobby for the spirit. Since meeting with Aura, Justice has been at peace. The flashes of Kristoff's memories had ceased…whatever that left of the former Warden was now gone. The spirit wandered if parts of Kristoff held on until he could see Aura again and say his final goodbye, who knows human nature was alien to him. As the spirit was about to turn the page, he heard the most wondrous sound. Justice quickly close the book and looked around, he saw Jenra come in.

"What is that sound? Such beautiful singing" Justice then saw Jenra was holding something in his hand. A gold band with a shiny blue gems embedded around the band. "The stone within this ring…is it lyrium?"

"Yes, the stone was quite troublesome…damn near blew up Wade when he worked on it" Jenra said. "I had an earful from Herren about that" Justice took the ring placed it on his fingers, the ring sizzled and scorched the skin. That would have been painful for anyone else but spirit felt nothing.

"I am most grateful for this"

"I hope it proves useful to you"

"Of what use is beauty?" Justice asked. "Of all the things I have seen in this world, this is the most precious"

"I shall keep it at my side as a reminder that even in misfortune, good can be found" A soldier ran inside the library and gave Jenra a salute.

"Message from Captain Elias, it is urgent" the soldier said. "He'll meet you in the throne room"

Jenra nodded. "I'll be there" he then looked at Justice. "Make your preparations; I want everyone ready if this is serious" Jenra left the library and headed for the throne room, on the way he could see that the entire fortress was on alert. Archers were at their positions readying their bows and arrows, soldiers head towards the gate in full armor as civilians came in. Some of the civilians were injured and all of them had a look of fear in their eyes. Jenra made it to the throne room where Elias and Varel were waiting.

"Commander" Elias said saluting.

"Report, captain"

"Full darkspawn armies in the field…just like the Blight, maybe worse" the captain said. "Before our soldiers were called back to the Keep, they brought back what civilians they could find to safety"

"I fear the darkspawn may strike the Keep, or even Amaranthine herself"

"Which faction? The Mother or the Architect?" Jenra asked.

"We don't know…for all we know they might have joined forces" Varel said. "A frightening thought…"

"The assembled lords and ladies of the arling await your word, they will want to know how you will protect them" he said. "Shall I assemble them?"

"Do it, we go to war"

"I shall send word at once" Soon the throne room was full of nobles discussing what to do and how this would affect them. Some of them even started to argue; only a minute and the nobles were already coming apart at the seams. Jenra came entered the room in full armor with the rest of the party. The party stood to the side while Jenra walked to the front and faced the nobles. Lord Eddelbrek walked forward.

"We've waited enough. Those who are late will just have to be filled in"

"Lord Eddelbrek, this is the Warden-Commander's council, not yours" Varel said.

"I am fearful for the villages on the plains" Eddelbrek said. "A darkspawn army...an army is in the field, with the soldiers returning to the Keep…"

"Pull yourself together, man! We give in to despair and we've already lost the war" Jenra said sharply.

"This is no-"The door opened and a young red-haired elven girl dressed in green rags, no older than fourteen or fifteen ran in. The nobles scattered as she ran to Jenra, the elf hunched over to catch her breath before talking. Her face was full of sweat and dirt much to the repulsion of the prim and proper nobles.

"Commander, Commander!" she said breathlessly.

"What is it, girl?" Varel asked.

"A darkspawn army has been spotted near Amaranthine" The nobles all gasped in horror and gave concerned mutters.

"Oh Maker protect us….they're attacking the city?" Eddelbrek asked fearfully. He then turned to the elven girl. "Tell me, girl! Were they able to close the gate in time?!"

"I…I don't know…"

"Dammit! Most of Amaranthine's new soldiers are fledglings, they've never seen combat" Elias said. "The city may not last long"

"And with our forces are focused on protecting the Keep, they cannot move quickly enough" Varel said. "But a small band might make it in time"

Eddelbrek shook his head. "But that's…suicide"

"That's a normal day for me" The court looked at Jenra. "Amaranthine will have their assistance"

Sigrun smirked. "Fighting a horde of darkspawn with almost certain death awaiting?" Don't even think of leaving me here, Captain"

Varel gave a light chuckle, just what he expected from the Hero of Ferelden. "While the Commander is assisting Amaranthine, Elias and I will hold down the Keep" he said. "My lords and ladies should the darkspawn attack the Keep we have prepared a place to keep you safe for the time being" The nobles emptied the throne room, leaving Jenra with the rest of the party.

"Those I have not chosen to accompany me will assist Varel and Elias in protecting Vigil's Keep" Jenra said. "No matter which side you are on, fight hard and fight valiantly…lives are on the line"

"Nathaniel, Sigrun and Velanna you're with me"

"Heh, I'll make sure the Vigil's ale supply is safe. Leave a few darkspawn skulls for me to kick in, right?" Oghren said with a smirk.

"Knowing the darkspawn, you might get your fun sooner than you think"

"If ever I had doubt of you, they are erased. Fight nobly and, if you die, die with honor" Justice said.

"Oh I miss out on the suicide mission? Life can be so unfair" Anders said dryly. "But…uh…good luck. Chin up and all that" Jenra and the party headed for the gate where Varel and Elias were waiting.

"The nobles are secured?"

"Yes my lord, we shall hold the line here" Vael said. "Maker protect you and hold you close, Commander"

"And you too" The gates opened; once they walked through it would not be opened for anyone until the threat has passed. The party headed to Amaranthine.

* * *

 _ **City of Amaranthine**_

The party made it to Amaranthine, the city was choked with smoke and inhuman growls could be heard as the party got close. The party gasped with horror at the sight before them, the city was torched to the ground and her people butchered…not even children was spared. In the distance, Amaranthine's guards fought valiantly against the darkspawn horde but their numbers were quickly dwindling. Jenra and the party charged into battle. Velanna casts a spell that caused thorns to shoot up from the ground and skewer the darkspawn underneath. Nathaniel shot the archers in the distance while Jenra and Sigrun attacked the genlock and hurlocks. The soldiers were shocked when they saw Jenra; they thought the Commander of the Wardens would not come to protect the Keep. However the shock quickly gave way to a refresh in morale and guards of Amaranthine fought harder than they ever did. Soon the battle turned around, darkspawn after darkspawn fell and the ones that were left alive ran away to regroup. A red-haired man in gold and brown armor came to Jenra.

"Commander, we didn't think anyone would come" the man said. "Captain Shanahan…" Before he could continue, two people ran towards them an older man and woman, from the way they dressed they were farmers.

"Please Grey Warden! Save my family! My family's in the city!" the man pleaded.

Shanahan came up and tried to calm the man down. "Please, calm yourselves while I speak to the Warden-Commander" The man reluctantly walked away while the guard captain sighed and faced Jenra. "Warden-Commander. I am glad you arrived when you did, but I fear there is little that can be done now"

"What happened?" Jenra asked. "How did the darkspawn get here so fast?"

"There were already here, a couple of nights ago a swarm of…of gruesome creatures emerged from beneath the city" Shanahan said. "The spread pestilence and destroyed everything they touched…while we dealt with them, the other darkspawn attacked from the outside"

"I've only seen the darkspawn strategize like this…back during the Blight" he said. "Commander…it's too late. Amaranthine is lost"

"No, it can't be lost!" Nathaniel said. "There must be something we can do!"

"The buildings might remain, but there will be few survivors so long after those creatures appeared" the captain said. "The corruption is so virulent…at least a quarter of the city succumbed within the first day"

"Captain! There is a darkspawn approaching!" A lone darkspawn walked towards them, the Captain ordered his archers to ready their bows but then the darkspawn stopped and threw up its hands in surrender.

"Peace! Do not be killing! Only talk! Architect has a message, for Grey Warden leader!"

Jenra frowned and walked forward, which made Captain Shanahan order his archers to stand down, but the soldiers were ready just in case. "Talk, darkspawn" The darkspawn came closer.

"The Mother's army, it marches to Vigil's Keep. She attacks now! The Architect, he sends me to warn you!" the disciple said. "Save the keep, then finish the Mother in her lair" The disciple went on to explain that the damage they saw was not the Architect's doing, this carnage was the Mother's plot to split the Wardens and then crush them at their weakest. "The Grey Wardens are valuable to the Architect. The Mother, she knows this"

"Damn it…we've been played for fools" Velanna said.

"If we leave now, we may be able to make it back to Vigil's Keep in time to save it" Sigrun said.

"But if we leave to save the Keep, Amaranthine will…" Nathaniel said.

"Soon this horde will go to Vigil's Keep as well, the Mother wishes the keep destroyed utterly" the disciple said.

"I have faith in the fortress I have built" Jenra said.

"We cannot afford to lose the Vigil and the Grey Wardens, and like the captain said what humans are left are lost anyway" Velanna said.

"Do you really want more innocent blood on your hands?"

The elf was taken aback at the question. "I…no, I understand. Let us pray the others can hold the Keep"

"No…no! If you stay, the Mother will get what she wants!" the darkspawn said.

"The Mother is in for an unpleasant surprise…the Keep has teeth" Jenra said. "Tie this thing up, it has information we need" Sigrun and Nathaniel tied up the darkspawn and the soldiers dragged it away to be imprisoned.

"Thank you for not giving up on my home, Jenra" Nathaniel said. "The darkspawn are never this organized on their own, we kill their leader and the rest will scatter"

"And we can focus on finding survivors"

"Then you will have what left of our forces, we stand with you Commander" Captain Shanahan said. They moved out to save what was left of the city.

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

Molten rock flew through the dark skies and slammed into the Keep, the reinforced walls stood with only small dents. Archers stood at the ready and fired a shower of arrows at the approaching horde. In the distance, two of the Mother's disciples stood in glee of the carnage. "Tonight we bathe in the Warden's blood. The Mother will be most pleased with her Herald" the disciple said. "Break the Keep! Break the Wardens! Leave nothing but ash!"

Inside the keep, the soldiers were scrambling to keep the darkspawn from breaching the gates. Varel and Elias along with the rest of the party joined them. "Dworkin, will your new concoction work?!"

The dwarf gave a big grin as he detonated the bombs. "See for yourself, Seneschal!" There were huge explosions that rocked the Keep and mowed down the darkspawn numbers by hundreds. "Got to love that lyrium load"

"Alright men, CHARGE!"

 _ **The war has begun, who will be left standing? Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	40. Chapter 40: Declaration of War pt2

**Chapter 40: Declaration of War pt2**

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Gates**_

Sergeant Maverlies was on the walls with the archers, in the distance more darkspawn was rushing to the gate. The horde was going to try to flood the gate and overwhelm their allies on the ground. "Archers, ready!" The archers primed and raised their bow. "Aim!" she barked. "Fire!" The archers fired their arrows at the same time, the flurry of arrows struck the darkspawn but it wasn't enough to stop the horde. Luckily they had more up their sleeves… "Prime the catapults!" The soldiers of the Keep place rocks and some of the bombs Dworkin made in the catapult. Maverlies orders them to fire; a bombardment of rocks and bombs hits the approaching horde, the field lit up in flames. The darkspawn that wasn't killed by the rocks and explosion burned to death by fire. The raging wildfire would slow the horde down enough for their ground troops to clean up.

Down below Varel and the ground troops attacked the darkspawn that made it into the Keep. Anders raised a large barrier to protect the ground forces from the darkspawn arrows…which put a strain on the mage. In the distance, the party could hear screaming…a dark miasma came into the Keep and choked the life out of some of the soldiers. Anders dropped the barrier and ran towards the miasma; the mage slammed his staff to the ground and cleansed the area of this dark poison. Anders the cast storm glyphs at the entrance to impede the darkspawn progress. Soon the ground forces took control of the gate. A soldier ran towards the Seneschal. "The Children are attacking the East Wall!"

"Varel!" Maverlies yelled. "We have the front gate, you can go!"

"Ok, Maker be with you Sargent" Varel's troops headed inward where they saw the Children climbing the walls. Elias knocked one of them down on the ground and then impaled it in the heart. Oghren charged in, smashing the darkspawn around while fighting like a frenzied beast. Justice wrapped himself in the Veil and evaded the hordes swords; he struck them down with his spirit sword. The Keep's soldiers pushed the Children back.

"Watch out!" Large flaming rocks flew above and struck the barracks making debris fly everywhere. The darkspawn were now bombarding them, but the walls held somehow. The catapult on the east wall fired and destroyed the darkspawn catapult. When the last darkspawn fell, Elias turned to Varel.

"The Children are dead; the front gates are in trouble Varel"

* * *

 _ **City of Amaranthine**_

Jenra and the party worked with the city guards to take back Amaranthine, the screams of the innocent filled the air as well as the smell of smoke and blood. The party found that the darkspawn was deeply entrenched making defeating the horde most difficult. Darkspawn were opportunists in nature and would use every chance they had to ambush the party which lost them some of the city guards. Soon they made to the noble district where the last of the darkspawn horde was located, with the help of the city guards they fell quickly. The darkspawn was taken care of in the city but the unease still remained. The commander of the city guards came to Jenra.

"Warden-Commander, we've received word of another wave of darkspawn approaching the city" he said. "They will be here within a day" Jenra frowned at that…he was hoping with Amaranthine stabilizing he could go back to the Keep…he was getting worried about his men. Jenra sighed, he couldn't let the darkspawn get a foothold anywhere in the city…the young lord just hoped that the Keep could stay strong for a little while longer.

"What do you suggest?"

"Most of the survivors are taking refuge in the chantry. The militia has set up a base of operations there" the commander said. "I'm sure your presence will boost their morale, in the meantime, my men and I will search for more survivors" The party headed for the Chantry, the chapel was full of civilians mostly women, children and the elderly. The lay sisters were working around the clock to treat wounds, and give whatever food and water they had to the survivors. The Revered Mother was in front of a statue of Andraste along with other survivors praying to the Maker to come save them.

"Get some rest, and prepare yourselves" Jenra said. "I predict we will have a difficult battle soon" Jenra went to meet the leader of the militia but instead one of its member came to him instead. The man looked scared.

"W-Warden Commander! Come quickly, the darkspawn are still breaking through!"

"What?! I thought we had at least a day!" Jenra said. "Are the gate at least shut to slow them down?"

"It's not the gates that are the problem; they're coming from the inn!"

"The inn? Why there?"

"I don't know, but you have to stop them or we're all dead!"

"Stay in the Chantry and protect these people" Jenra said. "We will take care this problem"

"Maker bless you, Warden-Commander!"

Sigrun sighed. "So much for that rest" They party headed for entrance, once the party leaves they would not be able to go back in the Chantry until the danger was over. Not soon after leaving the Chantry, darkspawn attacked. The party drew them away from the Chantry and led them into a narrow alleyway where the horde got stuck. Velanna cast a powerful fire spell and burned them all to cinders. After that was done, the party headed to the inn. The Crown and the Lion was full of darkspawn, Velanna pushed them all back with a force a magic allowing Sigrun and Jenra to take them all down. The party went from room to room to cut down the darkspawn, when they were done they could here muffled growls from somewhere in the inn.

"This inn has quite the reputation for being a haven for smugglers" Nathaniel said. "No one's ever been able to prove it until now….wherever they get their contraband the darkspawn must be there" The party searched the inn until they found a hatch leading to a passage below, a typical place for storage until they got the end. A small natural inlet that was turned into a dock for the smugglers to enter, it looked like the inlet went on for miles. They found dead bodies on the docks, the smugglers…they were caught off-guard and was slaughtered. Now the darkspawn had a place where they could attack the city without the guards knowing.

"The Grey Warden! Kill them all!" The Disciple general said. "The Mother commands it!"

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

"They keep coming!" The darkspawn swarmed the front gates while the archer tried to keep the bulk of the horde away. The darkspawn split their forces to attack the Keep from the north and the west which forced the ground troops to split as well or face a pincer attack. They were quickly losing men, and fear was starting to get them which made them fall even faster. Soon the darkspawn was getting bold; they started come after the archers and the catapults forcing them into close combat. Varel was separated from the rest of the ground forces, one after the other the darkspawn attack the seneschal. Varel beheaded the first one with a swift strike, kicked the second one in gut before cutting below the knees. The darkspawn hesitated as Varel cut down more and more of them brethren…the old warrior fought fiercely despite not being a Warden.

"Hold together, men. Andraste's blood, hold!" With his words, the soldiers of the Keep fought than they thought they could. Oghren went into a blood rage and dove straight into the darkspawn horde and mowed them down like a rabid beast. His rage was so great that pain became a distant stranger. It looked like the Keep was going to push them back. "On me! For the Wardens! For Amaranthine!" Before Varel could charge, a large black mass came out of the miasma and rammed into the seneschal knocking him back several distances.

"VAREL!" An ogre roared into the sky and was followed by another ogre and more darkspawn. Varel was unconscious and the darkspawn was advancing on him. "Full volley, men!" Maverlies said. "Don't let those monsters near Varel!" A flurry of arrow struck the sky as Oghren led the soldiers against the darkspawn. The dwarf jumped on the back of the ogre and bashed its head in with his axe. When the ogre fell, Oghren roared in triumph which inspired the Keep's soldiers to fight harder. Soon they were joined by the militia, knights, and mercenaries that the Commander of Warden worked hard to gain until eventually the darkspawn was repelled. The Keep erupted into cheers as they watched the darkspawn run for their lives…but it was short lived.

"Maker's Breath…Varel!" Elias said. The seneschal bloodied and bruised but like a soldier kept on even if it meant crawling on the ground. His strength gave out and Varel fell to the ground, Elias held the old warrior in his arms. His breath was slow and shallow, as he coughed up blood…he was in horrible shape. "Healer! Healer! Where is the void-blasted Healer?!" Elias yelled.

"D-Did we win?" Varel asked weakly.

"Yes, yes we did…you can tell the Commander of your success when he comes back" Elias said. "Save your strength"

Varel chuckled weakly. "I've seen enough of battle to know…I'm a dead man" he said. "It has…it has been an honor fighting with you all"

"Fight them…with everything you have…"

Elias took a deep breath, he could feel it…Varel didn't have long. "Rest easy, old soldier. You will not be forgotten" Varel took one last breath and his eyes dulled…the seneschal was gone. Elias closes his eyes as everyone stood in silence for a fallen hero. Meanwhile outside of the Keep the darkspawn was retreating much to anger of the disciple. It roared with rage.

"Can you fools do nothing right? The walls still stand!" the disciple said angrily. "Send in the ogre, I will not disgrace the Mother!" The darkspawn released the chains holding down a larger than average ogre, feeling the chains loosen the ogre flailed wildly crushing several darkspawn around it. Like the disciple, the ogre was released from the song of the Old Gods but it broke the ogre just like it broke the Mother. Now it was a wild beast that not even the darkspawn could control, perfect for wreaking havoc upon the Wardens' heads.

"Captain! There's an ogre over yonder, the biggest I've ever seen!"

"Everyone to their positions! Tonight we end this and avenge our fallen" Elias said. "For the Wardens! For Amaranthine!" The Keep prepared for one last siege, everything was riding on this victory.

* * *

 _ **City of Amaranthine**_

After the cove was cleared out, the party chased the disciple general to the surface where an armored ogre was waiting for them. The battle was hard fought but eventually both the disciple and the Ogre fell. When the battle was done, the city guards came from behind the barricade and gave the party a large applause others just sat down and take a breath of relief from surviving this onslaught. There was so much dead on the streets, the Chantry will have their hands full giving all of them their last rites but at least the city lived to see another day. Captain Shanahan came to Jenra.

"Commander, the darkspawn are retreating" he said. "Thank you for this, it will be a hard road for Amaranthine but the city will come out stronger than before"

"Happy to help, now I just hope the Keep is still standing when I return" Jenra said.

"About that, some of the scout sent got back word of Vigil's Keep" the captain said. "The Keep still stands, but it would seem the darkspawn has sent formidable forces to topple it"

"If we hurry, we can be there to help them out" Sigrun said.

Jenra nodded. "Agreed" he said. "Will Amaranthine be alright on its own?" Captain Shanahan gave a confident nod. Jenra faced his comrades. "Everybody move out!" The party raced back to Vigil's Keep.

 _ **The Final Battle is coming soon! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	41. Chapter 41: Declaration of War-Aftermath

**Chapter 41: Declaration of War-Aftermath**

 _ **Vigil's Keep**_

Jenra and party were nearing the Keep the smell of blood and smoke was almost overwhelming. They cut down the darkspawn fleeing the battle; it looked like things were going bad for the horde. Once they made to the center of the forest they encountered a disciple that was marching on to the Keep, the party intercepted horde. "You'll take no step further monster"

"The Warden-Commander?" The darkspawn gave depraved grin. "Fate smiles upon me, I will bring your head to the Mother" They attacked the party, Velanna called up thorny roots to strangle the darkspawn while fired a volley of arrows in the back ranks. Sigrun attacked from the shadows taking down darkspawn too disoriented to fight back. The lead darkspawn known as The Herald attack Jenra with dark tendril coming from its arms. Jenra slashed it away and went for the head…the young lord and the darkspawn traded blow after blow with neither giving an inch. When the Herald clashed once more with Jenra, it opened its mouth and a black cloud shot out choking the young lord's lungs. This time Jenra was the one on the defensive, barely dodging or blocking blows that would have been fatal.

The Herald slammed into Jenra and almost took the air out of him; the darkspawn went in for a second blow. Jenra rolled behind the herald and formed a blood claw on his right hand. With a forceful yell, Jenra shoved his claw into the darkspawn back and dug into the Herald's flesh until he reached the heart. He tore it out of the darkspawn and crushed it in his hand; the Herald was dead on the ground. After a few minutes of clearing out the darkspawn, the party headed to Vigil's Keep. The smoke was thick at the gate but, the party could hear the sounds of fighting and screams. They went deeper into the Keep and spotted Captain Elias and the soldiers fighting off an armored Ogre.

"Captain!"

"Commander?! Thank the Maker you are well" Elias said. "If you are here, then Amaranthine…"

"Out of harm's way, although it will take time for her to recover" Jenra said. The young lord looked around but could see Varel anywhere…he would no doubt be in the thick of it. Furthermore Jenra could not see Justice or Anders. When he asked where they were…Elias just lowered his head.

"I…will fill you in once things have settled" From the sound of the man's voice, Jenra was not going to like what he hears. They buried it for now and fought the armored ogre, the large darkspawn attacked wildly…throwing people away like ragdolls and crushing buildings in its way. Velanna summoned a large blizzard to slow the creature down while Nathaniel and the other archers pelt it with arrows. Oghren and Sigrun cut the tendons of both of its legs, making the ogre fall to its knees. Dworkin tossed several hand bombs towards the fallen ogre to destroy its armor. Once the armor had fallen, Jenra ran towards the ogre at full speed and aimed to for the heart. The ogre roared in pain as it fell back on the ground; Jenra roared and sliced the heart out of the body killing the ogre. Knowing they were now beaten, the darkspawn retreated and the Keep cheered victoriously.

"We've…we've won" Elias said tiredly. This was their greatest victory, Amaranthine was saved and the Keep continued to stand but soon that joy would wear off and give way to a solemn reality. "The price was dear, but Vigil's Keep holds. The fallen…they would be proud"

"The army has taken heavy losses. Dead, wounded" Maverlies said. "It will be some time before they can mobilize a force that large again"

"The men deserve rest after what they've been through" Jenra said. "But we must act quickly; broodmothers can replenish their numbers quickly"

"We captured one of the Architect's disciples, we will get it to talk and we will finish this"

* * *

 _ **Two days later…**_

Vigil's Keep was in the middle of repairs from the darkspawn attack as was Amaranthine. Many of the survivors of the attack on Amaranthine volunteered to help with the repairs as gratitude for Jenra saving their lives. Others came so they could get their thoughts away from the dead in Amaranthine. The infirmary was filled to the brink of the injured to the point that the herbalists were getting overwhelmed. Many did not survive over the nights and many of them died in terrible pain…their cries haunted the healers but they carried on with their duties.

Jenra was memorial shrine where the fallen was to be cremated and remembered for their sacrifice. They had won the day but they had lost so many…some of the sisters traveled from Amaranthine to give the last rites to the fallen soldiers of the Keep, even though there were so many funerals in the city. Soon they got to Varel, who died protecting the Keep….even now Jenra could hardly believe it; the old soldier had been with him from the first attack of the Keep to the attempted coup d'état. "Any last words, Commander before we send him to the Maker?" one of the sister's asked.

"I…may he find eternal peace alongside the Maker" Jenra said. "And thank you for everything" Varel's body went into the pyre, next was Justice or rather Kristoff's body. The spirit no longer inhabited the body, he had fell trying to protect the east wall…Jenra had hoped Justice was sent to the Fade and hopefully the Warden could see the spirit again. Over in the corner was a flat funeral cloth where Anders should have been, he was with Justice to protect the east wall of the Keep. The mage's body was nowhere to be found, which meant the darkspawn might have taken him…if that was the case Jenra could only hope his death was quick. A soldier entered the shrine.

"Commander, word from the guard captain" she said. "They have brought the darkspawn" Jenra frowned and just nodded as he headed for the throne room. There he spotted the darkspawn held down in chains with a dozen guards standing over it ready to strike it down if it were to even breathe wrong. Jenra sat on his throne and gave the darkspawn a cold glare.

"You have information on the Mother" Jenra said. "Speak while I still have the patience for your presence"

"You have hurt her, hurt her badly….she licks her wounds" the Messenger said in glee. "Wardens stronger than was believed, the Architect will be pleased"

Jenra narrows his eyes. "I care not for your damned civil war, darkspawn" he said furiously. "Tell me where the Mother is, so I may kill her"

The darkspawn grinned. "The Dragonbone Wastes is where you'll find her" it said. "Kill her and bring the Architect total victory"

"All that will await the Architect is death when I'm finished with the Mother" Jenra said. "Take it away and off with its head" The soldiers took away the darkspawn for execution while Jenra prepared himself for the final battle.

* * *

 _ **The Dragonbone Wastes**_

Far to the south of Thedas, nestled between high, foreboding mountains, is a place where they say dragons go to die. There, in that harsh and wild land, a dragon at the end of her days would lie down and allow the bitter cold to take her. The Tevinter Imperium of old believed, and imagined that the bones of these great and ancient beasts must be suffused with power—power they could take for themselves. Many of the magisters sought out the place that their ancestors spoke of. This place is the Dragonbone Wastes.

However while the dragons may be dead, their spirits remain and they do not enjoy having their graveyard desecrated in such a matter. Those who do not respect the bones of dragons here are said to be ravaged by the Waste's power and their spirits to be used as playthings to the fallen dragons forever. Those who are able to escape with their lives intact are no more fortunate as they cursed to the point that even death gives no escape. The party in from the west from the old Tevinter ruins, the Wastes was dark and ominous the feeling of death was everywhere. The bones of the mighty dragons littered the area for as far as the eye could see, it felt like a different world. "You doin' alright, lass?" Oghren asked. "You looking mighty pale"

"This place…the spirits here are restless, they don't want anyone here" Velanna said. "We must tread very carefully here" The party continued on the trail until they heard the sound of fighting. They turned the corner and spotted the darkspawn fighting amongst each other.

"So the Architect's forces are here too" Nathaniel said. "No doubt after the Mother as we are"

"Good, let them fight" Jenra said. "It makes it easy for us to slip into the ruins" The party continued on avoiding the larger skirmishes and killing the stragglers. They made it to the entrance of Drake's Fall were multiple forces of darkspawn battled. On Jenra's orders they charged in taking advantage of the chaos. Velanna set the ground aflame while Nathaniel mowed the darkspawn down with a shower of arrows. Jenra and Oghren came in and fought both forces. However unknown to them, the fighting stirred up some large in the distance…a large roar shook the battlefield. A high dragon came in fast crushing some darkspawn when it land, with a roar the dragon shot out a stream of fire decimating the Architect and the Mother's forces. Every darkspawn in the area soon took noticed of the high dragon's prescience and attacked.

"Time to go, everyone" The party slipped passed and entered Drake's Fall.

* * *

 _Legends speak of a place where dragons go to die. In the far south, in the lands of the barbarian tribes, it is said that a dragon at the end of her days lies down and allows the bitter cold to take her. It is not just a legend! I have seen Drake's Fall with my own eyes, the ancient bones of these grand beasts piled atop one another. I felt the power that suffused this place and knew the Imperium would claim it._

 _We built a city on the bones. We delved deep into the earth, collecting what remained of the primordial dragons who were so like our Old Gods. With these bones we created staves for our magisters, armour for our warriors, and crowns for our archons. We fashioned phylacteries to hold our blood and sarcophagi to hold our bodies, and prayed they would make us immortal._

 _-From the writings of Archon Melos_

 _ **Drake's Fall**_

A series of ancient Tevinter ruins established over a chasm beneath the Dragonbone Wastes. Once used as a place of power for the magisters, it is now a nest for the darkspawn. After catching a short breath, the party headed deeper into the ruins.

"I'm glad to see you are well, sister" The party stopped and out of the shadows to the left was Seranni decked in dark plate armor, bow and plenty of arrows. The taint has grown worse since the last time they saw here but it did not bother the younger elf. The party was defensive, Seranni freed them last time only to reveal she was with the Architect however Velanna was just happy to see her sister. The elf ran to her and gently caressed her face.

"Seranni! Oh, thank Mythal you're still alive. What has the Architect done to you?" Velanna asked. "Why are you with him?"

"The Architect is kind to me, and tender, and he has told me his plan" she said. "The darkspawn are like us"

Jenra frowned. "Like us? What do you mean?"

"The Architect has freed them, and they search for a place in this world, like the Dalish…like all of us" Seranni said. "Everything he's done, he's done to help his people…you can respect that, can't you sister?"

"The darkspawn are monsters, not people" Nathaniel said.

"That is no longer true"

Oghren scoffed. "Tell that to my people in Orzammar" he said. "The girl's off her rocker"

"Seranni, they killed our friends and so many others. Don't you remember?"

"I do, Velanna and this is why I must help them. They are like children…they come into the world with no understanding of what is good and fair" Seranni said. "They have a bestial nature, but I've seen them overcome it. They just need to be shown how"

"Others have tried reason and communicate with the darkspawn before, and they were killed" Jenra said. "What make this any different?"

"He will explain everything, the Architect is waiting for you" the elf said. "You will soon see as I have seen"

 _ **One on one with the Architect himself…Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	42. Chapter 42: Depths of Depravity pt1

**Chapter 42: Depths of Depravity pt1**

 _The Architect is a powerful darkspawn possessed of an intelligence seldom seen in its kind-and obsessed with Grey Wardens. In the old silverite mine near the Wending Wood my companions and I were captured until Velanna's sister Seranni freed us. Despite being infected by the taint she urged us to escape. While escaping, we noticed it seemed to be conducting strange experiments on Wardens, although their purpose was impossible to discern._

 _At the exit of the mine, we saw the Architect for the first time…it was unlike any darkspawn I've encountered before. To its left was Seranni, her demeanor was very different from when she tried to free us. To the darkspawn's right was a tainted dwarven woman wearing heavy armor from Orzammar. Silent as stone that one was as she observed us alongside the Architect. It is strange…the Architect seems to treat this woman with great respect, even affection. I've asked Oghren about the woman since he was acquainted with a lot of people from his days as part of House Branka but alas he does not know her name. Later on I would find out that The Architect and the Mother are at odds. She is undermining his plan, whatever it is.-Recollection of Jenra_

 _ **Drake's Fall**_

"He will explain everything, the Architect is waiting for you" the elf said. "You will soon see as I have seen"

"No, don't go!" Seranni walked away and Velanna reached out to her, but she coldly ignored her and went to join the Architect. The older elf just clenched her fist, this…this wasn't like her sister, and the Architect had done more than just taint Seranni and whatever it was she was going to stop it. Velanna went after Seranni and the party followed. Down they went on the spiral staircase where they were attacked by darkspawn.

"I thought the Architect wanted to see us, why are the darkspawn attacking us?!" Nathaniel asked.

"The girl tricked us!" Oghren said bringing his axe down on a hurlock.

Velanna cast a grease spell and the approaching darkspawn slipped and fell down the stairs. "My sister wouldn't do this!"

"I don't think these are the Architect's darkspawn, it is the Mother's" Jenra said. "The Mother is getting desperate, I wonder why?" The party continued to fight of the darkspawn until, some of them retreated into the ruins. When they reach the middle of the ruins, they found darkspawn but they weren't attacking. Instead they led the party to an atrium where the Architect was waiting; alongside it was the silent dwarven woman.

"And so we meet again" The dwarven woman frowned and took out her sword and shield until the Architect gently place its hand on her shoulder. "No, Utha. That is not how this must begin" The Architect then turned its gaze on the party and then glided down to the ground using magic.

"I owe you an apology, Commander. When last we met, I intended to explain myself" it said. "But alas Fate decided to intervene"

Jenra crossed his arms. "When I escaped you mean"

"I restrained you only to prevent the misunderstanding that occurred with the rest of your order"

"A 'misunderstanding' that ends with a field of dead bodies. Yeah, I get those sometimes" Oghren said sarcastically.

"I sent the Withered to ask for the Grey Warden's help, I should have anticipated that you might view our approach as an attack" the Architect said. "Rarely am I able to judge how your kind will react. It was most unfortunate"

Nathaniel frowned. "Unfortunate? You took those men and bled them dry!"

"They were already dead; I took their blood just as I took yours because I had little choice. Thing have not gone as I planned" it said. "I only ask that you hear me out, should you find my proposal not to your liking, you may try and slay me" The party looked at each other, unsure if they could trust the Architect. Jenra looked around, they were surrounded at all sides…the Architect wasn't giving them a choice but to listen.

"Very well, we will hear you out" Jenra said.

"My kind has ever been driven to seek out the Old Gods, when we find one, a Blight begins" the Architect said. "This is our nature….except for myself" The party looked surprised, this was unheard of….but it made sense without the Old Gods to compel them, something had to take the song's place.

"I don't feel the pull of the Old Gods' song, I don't know how I am like this…perhaps it was by chance or I was always this this way. Whatever the reason, I knew I was different" it said. "And so I tried to find out my origins, but to no avail however in my search I found something quite intriguing"

"And that is?" Velanna asked.

"A way to make others like me, and a purpose" the Architect said. "For far too long, we attack your surface lands and you fight back until we are defeated…I wish to break the cycle"

"Why our blood? What makes Grey Warden blood so special?" Nathaniel asked.

"In order to become what you, you drink the blood of my kind. To transform" it said. "Similarly, we must transform. I have created a version of your Joining ritual that uses the blood of Grey Wardens"

"You take in the taint into yourselves. What we take is your resistance" Jenra was taken aback, this changed everything…this meant no more Blights, no more good men and women dying to push back against the hordes. This was the endgame for the Grey Warden order…it was almost too good to be true. "That is how my brethren are freed. In your blood lies the key to their immunity to the song of the Old Gods"

"Like sodding hell you are getting my blood!" Oghren said angrily.

"If this will stop future Blight, isn't a bit of blood worth it? This what my sister saw!" Velanna said.

"Yes but what about the other side of it, for every one darkspawn that turn out like the Architect we'll have two more like the Mother, insane and unpredictable" Nathaniel said. "Interesting how the Architect leaves out the Mother and her kind"

"The Mother was my first failure, I found in my process that some darkspawn react poorly to losing the song" the darkspawn said. "They rage against me in a futile attempt to reclaim the song, the Mother gathers them to stop me…as she seeks to stop you"

"I cannot defeat her alone, and I cannot free the darkspawn unless she is defeated. Our goals are the same"

"This is what my sister saw. An ally amongst the darkspawn!" Velanna said. "This is an opportunity we cannot pass up"

"And what of those that died because of his darkspawn? Varel, Justice and Anders, allying with them betray their memory" Nathaniel said. "You saw what his creatures did to Amaranthine and the Keep"

"Not to mention, Orzammar is having enough trouble fighting the regular darkspawn" Oghren said. "With this guy in charge, they'll be overrun"

"I do not seek to rule my brethren, only to release them from their chains" The Architect said. "But if you are worried about me taking the blood by force, you need not worry" Their attention turned to the dwarven woman above. "The first blood came from Utha, freely given" Utha bowed towards the Architect. "She was a Grey Warden, as you are and joined us…many years ago"

"Help me kill the Mother and after it is done, I will leave to continue my work in peace" This was a hard decision for Jenra; the end of the Warden's mission was starring him in the face. But so many had died because of its plan, well intentioned or not and there were just too much hatred for the darkspawn. His thought went to Kristoff's wife, how could Jenra look Aria in eyes and tell her that he made peace with the very creatures that made her a widow and left their daughter fatherless. And then there was the practical dilemma, freed or not they were still darkspawn and they carried the taint which was a danger to all life. Letting the Architect continue his plans to do more damage than just the Blights, the young lord sighed…it really was too good to be true. The Architect believed in its goals but had no thought for the consequences outside of that and that made the darkspawn too dangerous to continue on.

"No, I will not help you. This ends here"

"But my sister, Jenra…!" Velanna said.

"Velanna, the Architect sounds like a dream but that's all it is…a dream" he said. "There's too many things to consider, how it would affect all of Thedas but the Architect cares not but his plan…this is bigger than your sister, I'm sorry"

The Architect gave a calm and almost sad sigh. "How very unfortunate…but I cannot blame you. You are as bound to your nature as we are to ours" It then turns its head towards Utha. "I am sorry, Utha. It appears that I will not be able to keep my promise after all" The dwarf ran toward the Architect's side, sword and shield in hand…if this was going to be a fight to the death, then she has picked her side. Seranni primed her arrows and pointed them at the party; there was no turning back now.

"You'll have to forgive me, Commander, for fighting to preserve my destiny" A surge of magical energy surrounded the Architect; all of the exits were seal by magical barriers. The party quickly took care of the darkspawn around them and headed for the Architect. The darkspawn summoned dark flames around itself while Seranni and Utha scattered the party. Utha charged Jenra with her shield up, their swords clashed. Utha was a very skilled warrior; several of her strikes were close to being to being fatal and her synergy with Seranni made things hard for the young lord. The Architect cast glyphs and wards on the ground to keep the party off balance. Velanna deflected Seranni's arrow and fired a stone fist that knocked her back and knocked her out cold, her sister was not best warrior as she did have the appetite to hurt anyone.

Oghren charged the Architect when the dark flames died down; the darkspawn raised its hand and blew the dwarf back at the wall. Nathaniel fired several arrows at the Architect's head but they were deflected and then the Architect retaliated with a flare magic. Meanwhile Jenra was finally able to get pass Utha's shield by cutting right arm off but the young lord found out that the dwarven woman was still just as dangerous as ever. Their swords clashed once again and held, Jenra shifted his weight to get behind Utha. Before she could react, Jenra slashed her back…with a gasp; Utha fell to the floor dead in her own blood. Jenra turned to face the Architect; dark energy gathered around the room and was aimed for the party.

"Velanna!" The elf created a large dome to envelop the party, the surge of energy clashed the barrier causing the party to fall back on the floor. The Architect was power was incredible as it shook the foundations of the ruins. The Architect prepared another spell; Nathaniel quickly got up and fired a gas arrow to disrupt the casting. Velanna cast a large fire spell to knock the darkspawn back and stun it while Jenra and Oghren went in. Before the Architect could react, Oghren and Jenra plunged their blades into the darkspawn's chest. Jenra went for the finishing blow.

"You…could have put an end to it all; you could have broken the cycle…"

"There was too much risk involved with your plan; I cannot toy with Thedas' fate"

"Or you cannot go through with this because of your fear of losing your purpose" Jenra slammed his sword into the heart of the Architect silencing the darkspawn forever.

 _ **The end of the Architect and the Mother is next! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	43. Chapter 43: Depths of Depravity pt2

**Chapter 43: Depths of Depravity pt2**

 _It is unknown who the Mother was before, but how she became the monster she is now is unfortunately very well known: the darkspawn gives her the taint by forcefully spewing their vomit into the poor woman's mouth. Soon she gains cannibalistic urges and greatly transform, eventually becoming fully-fledged broodmothers after devouring massive amounts of flesh, even including their kin. It truly is a fate worse than death. When the Architect awakened her, freeing her from the Call of the Old Gods, she remembered what she once was and what she had been forced to endure and that realization drove her into madness._

 _The Mother longs for the "sweet music" of the Archdemon because that song was the only thing that allowed her to remain unaware of what she had become. Enraged at the Architect, she convinced other awakened darkspawn to oppose the Architect's goals, while she struggles to re-connect herself and her 'children' to the Calling. The Mother hopes that if the Architect is destroyed, the "Song" will return to her. And if that is not possible, she will even welcome death if it means hearing that dark music again. Never have I seen a more pitiful creature…-Recollection of Jenra_

 _ **Drake's Fall**_

"You…could have put an end to it all; you could have broken the cycle…" The Architect said. Underneath all that calmness, was a rage greater than the darkspawn had even felt before…more than the Mother's rebellion.

"There was too much risk involved with your plan; the fate of Thedas is not something I'm willing to gamble with" Jenra said.

"The blood spilled in the future shall be on your head" Jenra slammed his sword into the heart of the Architect silencing the darkspawn forever. Velanna quickly went up the stairs to see her sister, when she reached the top she found that Seranni was gone. Where could she have gone? Seranni couldn't have woken up that quickly. Velanna then heard Jenra call her, and with a heavy sigh the elf joined the rest of the party. The party continued on where they saw a legion of darkspawn ahead of them, were they remnants of the Architect's forces looking for revenge or was it the Mother's forces looking to destroy her only threat now? Either way it didn't matter, the party came too far to be stopped now.

"Crush their lines, we finish this today!" The party rushed the darkspawn, colliding with the horde. Jenra ducked under the armored ogre and climbed its back and impaled its head. Oghren tackled the Hurlock and broke its neck with his bare hands. A genlock lunged behind the dwarf with sword out, Oghren turned and knocked the darkspawn into the pit below. Velanna started a grease fire as the approaching darkspawn came while Nathaniel mowed them down with a rain of arrows. When the first wave was cut down, the party went forward to the third spiral staircase where they faced childer grubs.

Velanna rained lightning down on the grubs while Jenra and Oghren slaughtered every single one of them. The closer they approached the Mother's lair, the more and more the landscape looked like something out of a nightmare. The party reached the ground floor where a disciple and childer hatchlings were waiting for them. Nathaniel fired an explosive arrow at the horde and scattered them and then Velanna froze them solid so Jenra and Oghren could shatter them. When the party crushed the opposition, they found the ruin to be eerily quiet. There was only one way forward to go, a pit full of corruption leading down. They headed in to slay the Mother.

* * *

 _ **Drake's Fall-The Nest**_

The party made it under the ruins; the route they used was blocked black tendrils of corruption. There was no going back, the Mother made sure of that. Everywhere they looked there were egg sacs imbedded in the walls and floors of the ruins, some empty, others full and incubating waiting to hatch into childer and spread their terror. Just up ahead was the Mother herself, she looked different from other broodmothers but she was no less revolting. She stood all by her lonesome, no disciples, no ogres…nothing but her and her eggs. The party advanced on the Mother. The Mother just stood still until one of her tentacles moved and she rose up to face the party.

"If it isn't the hero of the hour" she said giving a low chilling chuckle. The Mother started to writhe and move with more energy as her voice became more manic. "The slayer of the mighty Father, come to claim a reward! Oh, what a delicious day!"

"What is that?" Nathaniel asked disturbed.

"Ugh, I knew broodmothers were ugly but this one takes the cake" Oghren said. "And that smell…by the ancestors, have they always smell this bad?"

"Creators preserve us; I have never seen such foulness!" Velanna said. The Mother saw their distress and chuckled as her multiple breasts jiggled as if the broodmother was doing a twisted version of seduction.

"Am I not beautiful?" The Mother asked as her demented laugh echoed in the air. "Has the Grey Warden come now to slay the Mother, too? Will she join the Father in oblivion?"

Jenra frowned. "By the Father, I suppose you mean the Architect"

"The Father, the Architect...whatever the name, it does not change what he was" The Mother said in great fury. "He said he wanted to free us, but all he brought us was silence. Oh, the dreadful, dreadful silence!"

Then the Mother gave the most joyous of laughter, which unnerved the party to no end. "But now the Father is gone. The Mother can take her children deep into the earth and care for them, safe and sound"

"Until the next time you send them to attack us again?"

"Oh, the Mother knows your ways. You will not let her be, no…not after what she's done"

"She's perceptive, I'll give her that" Oghren said dryly. All of the sudden, the party could feel the ground shake beneath them as spears of tentacles came shooting out of the ground. The party dodged and scattered.

"So it must end, it all must come crashing down!" She said manically gleeful. "Perhaps we'll hear the song again when we die! Oh, let it come! Let it come!" Flaps of skin opened up around her mouth, revealing a rows upon rows of sharp teeth as the Mother gave a loud, unholy scream. The eggs all around the nest started to hatch into childer grubs while the Mother's tentacles thrash all about.

"Watch for the tentacles" The party dodged the tentacles while the grubs advanced on them. Velanna casts a glyph of repulsion to push back the childer while Jenra and Oghren cut down. Nathaniel rapidly shot at the tentacles to bring down the Mother's defenses, Jenra and Oghren flanked the mother to slash her. The Mother screamed in pain as the warriors cut into her, the Broodmother started to glow and blew Jenra and Oghren back. A pulsating field of magic pushed the party back as more childer grubs hatched.

"A glyph? The Mother is a mage?!" Velanna asked shocked.

"A darkspawn of many surprises…" The party mowed down the grubs, newly hatched wasn't even close to being a threat they were simply thrown at them so the Mother could have time to recover. The Mother screamed again and another glyph appeared below the party, erasing the elf's spell. The grubs came at force this time while more of her tentacles shot from the ground, between the horde and the tentacles…the party were finding themselves quickly becoming tired. Velanna fell back to focus on casting large spell where the rest of the party were covering her. A large inferno soon erupted from the ground, Jenra and the others rolled away as the blaze burned the childer to cinders. They then focused on the tentacles and then on the Mother.

Streams of fire shot out of her hands and the party scattered, Jenra lunged at the Mother and plunge Night-fang into the broodmother's side. She thrashed about and threw Jenra off…Oghren came next hacking off tentacle after tentacle. The dwarf came close for the heard but was grabbed by another tentacle. The Mother laughed with mad glee as she was crushing the life out of Oghren, Nathaniel shot a rapid burst of arrows at the tentacles to make it drop the dwarf. Velanna cast a healing spell on the warriors and soon Jenra and Oghren were back on their feet.

Another tentacle came from the side, the elf struck the ground and a glaive of jagged rocks jutted out of the ground to impale and hold the tentacle in place. Oghren and Jenra headed for the Mother aiming for the broodmother's head…more tentacles shot from the ground but Nathaniel pinned them to the wall. One lone tentacle got free and struck Oghren but Jenra kept going, his sword glowing with spiritual energy. The Mother cast a fire spell; he dodges it and strikes her heart. The Mother thrashed about while Jenra held on. "Attack now!" Nathaniel fired arrow upon arrow at the broodmother's head while Oghren hacked off the tentacles. Velanna held the Mother down with roots and burned her limbs. Jenra took out his dagger and took a leap to the Mother's neck and plunged it deep. The Mother screams soon became silent as her body finally dropped…the insane broodmother was forever silenced.

* * *

 _ **Vigil's Keep-Three weeks later**_

After the deaths of both the Architect and the Mother, it was reported from the Keep's scouts that all of the remaining darkspawn fled back into the Deep Roads. The city guard captain also reported that raids on Amaranthine came to an end also. Many of the Architect's disciples survived and escaped into the Deep Roads with the rest of their brethren. Fearing retribution from the intelligent darkspawn both the Keep and Amaranthine bolstered their defenses but no attack came. Whether they were biding their time for the land to become complacent or they simply didn't wish to invite the wrath of the Grey Wardens that killed their savior was not known.

What was known however was that the Deep Roads would remain plagued by the darkspawn and that in time a new Blight will begin. The danger may have passed for now, but the cycle of the Old Gods continues. Word of the Grey Wardens' heroic salvation of Amaranthine spread like wildfire, gratitude and sympathy drove generous donations from all over Ferelden into the region's coffers. Soon Amaranthine would be restored to her former glory with estimates putting the recovery within a year, and Vigil's Keep in five. The valiant last stand at the Keep had drove recruitment numbers through the roof, with many coming from all over Ferelden to get the chance to fight alongside the Hero of Ferelden and his wardens. Recruits have been said to stand in awe of Vigil's Keep study dwarven walls that could stand up any boulders an ogre could throw and her soldiers all clad in armor and weapons made of the darkspawn bane, silverite. This reverence gave the Keep an almost mythic reputation and even started a few songs and stories.

Back at the Keep, while the rest of the party was enjoying some well-deserved rest Velanna was preparing her belongings for a long journey. Her younger sister was still out there, and Velanna would not rest until she found her. As she was heading out of the Keep, a voice called out.

"You don't know the meaning of rest, do you?" Nathaniel said.

"I cannot rest knowing my sister is still out there" Velanna said.

"Seranni has been heavily tainted from her time with the Architect; it may not be possible to save her"

"Then I will do what is needed, not as a warden but as her sister. I can't just leave it like this" Velanna said.

"I understand, just be careful out there…things would not be the same here without you" Nathaniel said. "Too much sunshine and smiles, can't have that can we?"

Velanna smiled a little as she walked out of the Keep. "The shem thinks he's funny"

"See you around, M'lady"

 _ **To catch a witch…Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	44. Chapter 44: Witch Hunt pt1

**Chapter 44: Witch Hunt pt1**

 _ **Vigil's Keep-9:31 Dragon**_

Jenra was returning to the Keep from helping an old friend, Wynne. She was looking for a mage named Ines for the College of Magi convening in Cumberland. The elder mage said she was a reasonable and well-respected mage needed for this conference. When asked what troubled her, Wynne just smiled and told Jenra not to worry about it…it was mage business that would bore him. Roughly a year has passed since the defeat of the Archdemon and the Fifth Blight as well as the deaths of Architect and the Mother. Since then normalcy has returned to the lands but the Wardens were always alert and on the watch for the darkspawns' evil.

At the gates, he met with Elias who had become the new Seneschal since the death of Varel at the siege of the Vigil. Next to him was a black-haired man in brown heavy armor, Garvel, Elias's second in command who was now the new captain for the Keep. From behind the two men came a very happy mabari hound, Fenrir was sent to the Keep a month back by Fergus. Fenrir's duty in siring Highever's mabari force had come to an end and Fergus had decided to reunite the mabari with his younger brother.

"Welcome back, Commander" Elias said. "It take it inspection of Amaranthine went smoothly?"

"Yes, Amaranthine is recovering quite nicely…I think the city will be grander than it was before" Jenra said while petting Fenrir. "Everything in order here?"

"Yes sir, though the new recruits are bit green to my liking" Garvel said. "By the way, King Alistair is waiting for you in the throne room"

"Alistair? Not like him to come unannounced" Jenra headed for the throne room where Alistair and his guards were waiting. Jenra took a bow. "Your Highness, it's good to see you again"

Alistair just smirked and gave a big pat on Jenra's back. "Come now, you know it's just 'Alistair' when it's just the two of us" he said. "I heard you had rough going here"

Jenra sighed. "An understatement, I was caught between a darkspawn civil war" he said. "I lost a couple of good people to that nonsense"

"But you made it through, that's all that matters" Alistair said. "I'm just sorry I couldn't do anything to help"

"You have difficult enough job in ruling Ferelden, there was no need to add to your burden" Jenra said. "So what are you doing here? It can't just be for a social visit" Alistair had sent his soldiers to Ostagar to break the darkspawns' foothold there. His scouts came back with a report of a raven-haired woman dressed in dark reddish-purple robes that showed off her milky-white skin heading in to the Korcari Wilds. Jenra's eyes went wide; it was the love of his life…Morrigan.

"She was carrying a small bundle in a brown veil with her" Alistair said. "My scouts say it looked like an infant, but that's impossible considering Grey Wardens are damn near infertile because of the Joining"

Jenra swallowed hard. "So you figured it out…"

"Sort of, I've always found it strange that both of us survived the battle with the Archdemon, I thought it was the Maker giving us a break" he said. "But no one's that lucky…well except Andraste"

"It was because of a ritual Morrigan cast when we…made love" Jenra said. "The Old God's soul went into Morrigan after the Archdemon was slain; our child carries Urthemiel's soul"

"Not that I'm not glad to be alive but why take the Old Gods soul?" Alistair asked.

"I don't know much…but she said she had a duty to magic"

"So vague, how very like Morrigan…" Alistair said dryly. "I take it you're going to go after her?"

Jenra looked away as his hands played with the ring on his finger. "I promised not to look for her and our child"

"And yet you can't stop thinking about her, or your child" the king said. "You've done so much for other people; maybe for once you should do something for yourself for once"

Jenra looked at him shocked. "But the order…!"

"The Wardens will be fine, you have capable people" Alistair said. "All I ask of you is to be careful, I know you love that woman but Morrigan had always had her own plans"

* * *

 _ **The Korcari Wilds- A year ago**_

" _Well, well, what have we here?" The party went to attention and saw on the stairway a woman, dressed in reddish-purple rags that showed off her very nice body, behind her was a crudely made staff. As she walked down, Jenra couldn't keep his eyes off of her…she was hauntingly beautiful with skin as fine as ivory, an alluring presence that made a devout man a sinner. But it was her eyes that caught the young lord's attention, her eyes was almost catlike and was a brilliant gold…in certain lights Jenra could have sworn that they glowed. "Are you a vulture, I wonder? Scavengers poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned?" she asked. "Or merely intruders, come into these darkspawn-filled Wilds of mine in search of east prey?" Her eyes locked eyes with Jenra's eyes, such intensity like she looks in his soul. "What say you, hmm? Scavenger or intruder?"_

" _Intruder? And just how are these you_ _r Wilds?" Jenra asked._

 _The woman chuckled. "Because I know them as only one who owns them could. Can you claim the same?" She walked forward; the party was on guard…she gave a slight smirk of amusement at their defensiveness. "I have watched your progress for some time. 'Where do they go,' I wondered, 'why are they here?" she said. "And now you disturb ashes none have touched for so long. Why is that?"_

" _Don't answer her. She looks Chasind, and that means others may be nearby" Alistair said._

" _You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?" she asked._

" _Yes, swooping is bad" Daveth shook and walked back slowly with his eyes wide. "Daveth? What's gotten into you?"_

" _S-she's a Witch of the Wilds, she is! She'll turn us into toads!" When archer said that, the party went on alert, the woman just laughed._

" _Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fancies, those legends have you no minds of your own?" She then smirked at Jenra, which made the man wary but at the same time he couldn't help but blush. "You there, handsome lad. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine, let us be civilized"_

" _My name is Jenra"_

" _And you may call me Morrigan"_

* * *

 _ **Now**_

It has been a long time since he was in these woods, the last time Jenra was there was to kill Flemeth to stop her from possessing Morrigan. Fenrir took the lead sniffing the ground for Morrigan's scent…Fergus couldn't have sent his mabari at a much better time, there was nothing that could match the tracking capabilities of a mabari hound. Soon they reached Flemeth's hut, it was rundown and overgrown with plants due to no one being there to tend to the home. Fenrir walked up to Jenra and gave a slight whine.

"It's been so long…I hope we can find her" The hound rubbed against his master's leg to reassure him, and Jenra patted his head. They walked towards the hut and Jenra noticed the hill Flemeth died on. After a short exchange, she shapeshifted into a high dragon, and with difficulty, Jenra killed her. So much about Morrigan's mother remains a mystery. Standing in front of her deserted home in the marsh sent a shiver up the young lord's spine—like it wasn't truly over. Jenra shook his head of such thoughts, nothing escapes death even someone as powerful as Flemeth. Jenra and Fenrir went inside; the place was just as the young lord remembered it, they spread out and begin the search. Jenra checked a chest for clues the contents had long since been removed probably by Morrigan or maybe the Chasind people. The beds didn't look like it's been slept in for years. The only place in the hut not covered in a fine layer of dust was around the fireplace. It looks like the fire was recently lit. All of the sudden Fenrir growls, Jenra readies his sword. A young elven woman with shoulder length red hair came out with one of her swords out, she dressed in brown and green armor and the markings on her face identified her from one of the Dalish clans.

"Not another step! What are you doing here?" Fenrir licked his chops as he continued to growl. "Call off your hound, shem"

"You're not in any position to be making demands, good woman" Jenra said. The standoff lasted for a good few moments until the dalish woman snorted and put away her sword. Jenra whistled and called back Fenrir back to his side.

"Fine, I am Ariane of the Dalish people. My keeper sent me to find Asha'bellanar…the Woman of Many Years"

"I am Jenra of the Grey Wardens; I'm looking for a woman named Morrigan" Fenrir gave a bark. "And this is Fenrir"

"I see. Then we have more in common than I expected" Ariane said. "I pursue this Morrigan, as well. She has done great injustice to my clan. Has she wronged you?"

Jenra then gave a blush. "Ah no, she's a…friend and I'm concern for her"

Ariane was taken aback by this; of all the words associated with a Witch of the Wilds…friend was not one of them. But then she thought this was a fortunate occurrence of events. "If you're her friend then perhaps you can reason with her" she said. "Morrigan stole an ancient book my clan has guarded since the days of Arlathan. We were the only ones with such a piece of our history"

"Everything we once had, all legacy of our ancient magicks were stripped from us, first by Tevinter and then by the wretched Circle" she said. "And Morrigan took what little was left"

"And you are sure that she took it?" The elf nodded; one month ago Morrigan visited her clan in the name of friendship and took great interest in their history. Jenra sighed, that sounded exactly like Morrigan…rare and strange magicks was of great interest to her. "It was no coincidence; she knew exactly what she was looking for" Ariane said. "The Keeper allowed her to see the book, two nights later, it was gone"

"What's so special about this book?" Jenra asked.

"This book is a mystery to us, but it holds the only clues on how to reclaim the past" she said. "After wondering for two-thousand years, my people desperately need it"

"My keeper, Solan, says it was a treatise on something called 'Eluvian'. The word is as ancient as the book itself and its meaning have been lost" the elf then looked at Jenra. "Save perhaps to Morrigan"

"You want an alliance" Ariane nodded. "Very well, but I have one demand…Morrigan is not to be harmed, we can get your book without resorting to a fight" Jenra said. "Do you have any leads?"

"The Book of Eluvian was reclaimed for my clan by an elven mage, who stole it from the Circle of Magi before defecting" the elf said. "He said other similar treasures remain in the library, but they would never allow a Dalish to view them, perhaps you will meet a different reception"

"I'm friends with the First Enchanter there" Jenra said. "Plus they owe me for saving their arses last year"

"Ma serannas, I look forward to working with you" Ariane then held out her hand. "I've heard that shems greet one another with this gesture" Jenra shook her hand, with nothing else to look for the party exited the hut. Soon after leaving, the party was attacked by a small band of darkspawn. Jenra and Fenrir made quick work of them but Ariane was left a bit shaken.

"Not much experience dealing with darkspawn, eh?"

"I've heard about them but I have never seen one up close before" she said. "Are they always this horrific?"

"You have no idea…" The party headed for the Circle.

 _ **Next Time! As always Review and Comment! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**_


	45. Chapter 45: Witch Hunt pt2

**Chapter 45: Witch Hunt pt2**

 _ **Lake Calenhad dock**_

Jenra, Fenrir and Ariane made it to the docks of Kinloch Hold. After some interesting talks with the Templar guarding the docks, they were able to take a boat to the circle tower. Ariane looked in awe of Kinloch Hold, she heard the stories from the defector but seeing it up close the stories did not do it justice. If there was one thing the shems were good about was making such titanic structures. It didn't take long for the elf to come to her senses and remember what the mage said about the tower. She could never forget the anger and bitterness in his voice when talking about Kinloch Hold. "Jenra, I do not understand it…why do shems keep their mages locked up in…this prison?"

"To protect them from being a danger to others and themselves…at least that's what the Chantry says" Jenra said. "Magic is to serve man, never to rule over them"

"Surely there are better ways to do this than just making them prisoners?" Ariane asked. "In my clan, mages are people of great wisdom and power which is why the Keepers have always been mages"

"What do you do when a mage becomes an abomination?"

"We must unfortunately put that mage down lest they become a danger to everyone else" the elf said. "But possession is very rare among the clans, mages are taught the dangers of magic and spirits but other than that they are free to live their lives as they choose"

"Most Templars would shudder at the thought of freedom for mages" Jenra said. "They and the Chantry fear the Tevinter Imperium of old could come back even though it's not possible"

"So…they fear the mages and the mages fear them. That is so awful, that is no way to live"

Jenra sighed. "I agree, but things will never change unless both sides stop fearing each other and start talking" he said. "But alas, I doubt that will happen within our lifetime"

* * *

 _ **Kinloch Hold**_

They made to the tower and went inside. Kinloch Hold had recovered nicely from the demon attacks last year, but Jenra could also see that the Circle beefed up security with more Templars. A fair-skinned Templar with dark-reddish brown hair stopped them, a new face Jenra had never seen before.

"Welcome to Ferelden's Circle of Magi" he said. "Please, keep your hound under control. Some of the apprentices are easily startled" the Templar then looked at Ariane. "And I see you have a Dalish elf with you"

Ariane crossed her arms. "Is that a problem?"

"Ariane can be trusted, should anything happen I will take full responsibility" Jenra said.

"Very well, I shall keep you to that Warden" he said. "The Circle is glad to have you as a guest, as you can see much have changed from when you were here last"

"I can see that, where's Greagoir? And Irving for that matter?"

"The Knight-Commander is in Denerim, attending to some important business and Irving is overseeing the Harrowing for one of the apprentices" he said. "My name is Hadley; I lead the Templars in the Knight-Commander's absence"

"I need to go to the library"

"You can start in the index section, as the Warden-Commander, you and your guests are free to explore the first floor of the tower without an escort" The party continued into the circle where the mages were studying their magic or keeping the circle tidy. No one bothered them, or talked to them, the mages just continued to do their duties which for some reason annoyed the elf.

"I see why Keeper Solan didn't want me to come here" Ariane said. "It is all too tempting to overturn the tight order of their little world" the elf heard Jenra chuckle a little. "Something funny, Warden?"

"Just reminiscing…you know Morrigan said something similar when we were here, too" As they headed for the index section, they could hear some of the gossip from the mages about Jenra. Some of the rumors about him were quite exaggerated much to the warden's chagrin. Meanwhile the longer they were in the circle, the more Ariane was annoyed which made her all the more tempting to try something which earned her an earful for Fenrir.

The elf snorted. "I was not!" Fenrir gave a disapproving whine. Ariane was taken aback at how perceptive the mabari was…perhaps the rumors about the hound's intelligence were not rumors after all. "Oh, all right, a little. You have to admit, it's tempting, right?" she said in a huff. "All these mages, so complacent, thinking they're so important" Fenrir gave a stern bark.

"You think I need to relax? Well, maybe" They made it to the library and Ariane eyes went wide, all those books. She had never seen so many. As they were walking about, many mages stopped what they were doing to gaze at Fenrir. Many mages had never seen a mabari hound before, Ariane came close to Fenrir. "Hey hound, you think you could sneak up on the mage over there?" Fenrir gave a soft annoyed bark.

"How high do you think he'd throw those things if he turned around and saw you looming over him?" Fenrir disapproved of her idea. "Oh, lighten up. This place is like a tomb. A few surprises would be good for them" Fenrir gave an unhappy bark. "Warden, your dog is lecturing me again…"

Jenra sighed." Enough you two, I swear it's like I'm handling two quarreling children" They made it to the index room, and quickly searched for the Eluvian. When they couldn't find anything in the index room, Jenra and Ariane spread out and searched the library.

"Warden! I recognize the character on this page" Ariane said running to Jenra. "I think it makes up of the word Eluvian"

"Is this like the book you lost?"

"Similar, the bindings are in the same style but the script is different" she said. "Perhaps there is another book that could help us translate this" Ariane and Jenra continued their search in the library, Jenra found a catalog of elven relics under mysterious artifacts and pulled it out. Using the translation book, he was able to locate a chapter on the Eluvian. As Ariane was prepared to read, Fenrir got up and barked.

"Whoa! Who let a dog in here? And what are you doing? Be careful!" Ariane and Jenra looked back to see a brown haired human mage dressed in a dark grey robe, he carried an unusual staff of crescent moons.

"You're in my light" Ariane said annoyed.

"Oh sorry, I'll just…hey why am I apologizing? You're the one misusing circle property" the mage said. "You're bending the book too much! It'll crack the spine and cause the pages to fall out!"

"Just thinking about it is making me dizzy"

"Look, we're in the middle of something important…so if you don't mind" the elf said about to turn back around.

"From the way you're carrying on, I take it you are familiar with this book" Jenra said.

"I've used it, though I don't know it by heart" the mage said. He walked up behind Ariane and browsed the book; the lack of personal space annoyed the elf. "Hmm…browsing the chapter o the Eluvians? No one's actually found one, you know"

Ariane scoffed. "Like you know what an Eluvian is, mage"

The mage just gave a smug grin. "It's old elvish for 'seeing glass' Mirror"

Ariane looked at him and frowned. "How do you know that?" she asked. "Even my people haven't been able to translate"

"Cross-referencing, educated guesses, process of elimination. Found the answer in an old Tevinter scroll" the mage said. "Eluvian isn't just any kind of mirror, it's special"

"Special how?" Jenra asked.

"When the Imperium sacked Arlathan, they took the mirrors and tried to unlock their power" he said. "The best they got was long distance communication"

"What do you think, Ariane?"

"The keeper thought Eluvian was a place…hmm, my people crossed paths with another clan not too long ago" she said. "Two of their young hunters encountered a strange mirror in some ruins, one disappeared and the other became deathly ill"

"They never found the lost one, and the other died. They left Ferelden and traveled north to forget their sorrows"

"And the mirror?" Jenra asked.

"Shattered. Destroyed" Ariane said. "It was…corrupted by the darkspawn, beyond hope of recovery. It was for the best" The mage started to pace back and forth while muttering to himself. "What a strange human" The mage then clapped his hand together with a big grin on his face.

"This is so exciting! We have to get to the repository. Hadley has the key"

"Uh 'we'? We don't even know who you are"

"Ah yes, Florian Phineas Horatio Aldebrant, Esquire at your service" the mage said with a bow. "But may call me Finn"

"I'm Jenra of the Grey Wardens and this is Ariane and Fenrir" Jenra said. "Aldebrant? Magistrate Aldebrant of West Hill is your father?"

"You know of my father?"

"Most people in Ferelden do, he's a stern but fair hand in matters of justice" he said. "Though a bit of an oddball on his off days"

"You're knowledgeable; I guess being a warden has its advantages" The party when to meet with Hadley who just finished making his rounds. "Now let me do all the talking, I can get you anywhere in the tower" Finn said. "Hadley! Just the man I was looking for"

"Not looking very hard, were you? I'm always here"

The mage gave an awkward chuckle. "Good one. So I…eh…need to go into the repository"

"No" Hadley said simply.

"We so much for 'getting us anywhere in the tower' Ariane said dryly.

"N-No? Why not? I'm not some drooling apprentice"

The elf crossed her arms and frowned. "It's because of me, isn't it?"

"No, the sentinels have been behaving strangely, so the repository is locked for everyone's safety" Usually Templars distrusts anything from the Fade but Sentinels was different. They are Fade dwellers that have possess suits of armor and guard the repository of the Circle Tower and will attack any intruders even those from the circle itself. Presumably, there is some sort of a password that will prevent their activation, as the repository is infrequently used by the Templars or senior Circle mages.

"Oh…well then, er…sorry for bothering you"

"Do you know why they are acting this way?" Jenra asked.

"No, we do not. I could be anything really, who knows with the Fade" Hadley said. "Fortunately the repository isn't crucial for day to day functions of the Circle, so we've left it until we could spare the men"

"How about you us handle this?"

Hadley sighed. "Very well, it's your necks but before you go, what's so important down there?"

"There's a statue down there, it knows things about Tevinter and I need to speak to it"

"Alright. Be careful and keep the mess to a minimum" He gave Jenra the key and the party headed for the basement.

* * *

 _ **Mage Tower-Basement**_

The Kinloch Hold basement is a restricted area, protected by Sentinels, as phylacteries and other magical artifacts, many of whom belonging to the ancient Tevinter Imperium, are locked away. The entrance, called "The Victim's Door" by the Chantry. Built of two hundred seventy seven planks, one for each original Templar, it is a reminder of the dangers mages can pose. The door can only be opened by a Templar and a mage. The Chantry provides a password, "Sword of the Maker, Tears of the Fade", which primes the ward, while the mage touches it with mana by casting a spell to release it.

The door to the phylactery chamber is protected from magic because of the wards carved into the stone by Templars. As such, normal keys which the First Enchanter and the Knight-Commander of the Circle Tower possess must be used. However, the magi are able to access the chamber by destroying a wall from the artifact vault as it shares a common wall, which was covering another entrance.

"You know that talking to inanimate objects is a sign of insanity?" Ariane asked dryly.

"Not when it talks back" Finn said casually

"You think this statue talks…to you?"

"It's complicated, it wasn't always a statue" he said. "You'll see"

 _ **What secrets will they find? Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	46. Chapter 46: Witch Hunt pt3

**Chapter 46: Witch Hunt pt3**

 _ **Kinloch Hold-Basement**_

"So the reason you are after the Eluvian is because of this woman, Morrigan?" Finn asked. "Having a Dalish warrior and the Warden-Commander after you…I would not want to be her"

"It's not like that, Morrigan took a book from Ariane's people and I just want to see my old friend again" Jenra said. "We're not looking for bloodshed"

Ariane crossed her arms. "That's up to the witch" Soon after making their way to basement, the party was attacked by the sentinels there. While they were fighting of the sentinels, Finn noticed something…a reddish-black miasma in the middle of the room. It was a Fade tear and it was causing the sentinels to go out of control, using his magic Finn was able to seal the tear and the sentinels stopped attacking and went back to their places.

"What just happened? They…stopped" Ariane said.

"While you were hacking away, I figured out there was a Fade tear causing the sentinels to go berserk" Finn said smugly. "No need for applause, well maybe just a little"

The elf rolled her eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that you are insufferable?"

"Not really, people tend to enjoy my sunny disposition"

Ariane gave an annoyed grunt and then walked into the next room where she then started to shiver. "She'va dhal! It's freezing in here!" She looked around the room, there was ice everywhere. "Ice?"

"This whole place is covered in ice wards to preserve the phylacteries in here" Finn said. "Or at least it was"

"Was?" Jenra asked.

"Yeah, the phylacteries was moved because a mage came in here and destroyed his own before escaping" the mage explained. "They're in a more secured area, and the Templars are very tight-lipped about it" The party went on their way into the next room full of old artefacts both magical and non-magical. If it wasn't for the fact the Templars heavily guarded the tower, it would be a haven for bandits and scholars. "Ah, there we go" Finn led them to a statue of a man in a robe with a spear; it was so old that all of the details had faded with time. And then a loud voice boomed into the party's head.

"The prison is breached. I see the encroaching darkness"

"Wow, it really does talk" the elf said.

"Told you. Hello?"

"The…the shadow will consume all…" the statue said. "A hunger, a cage, a yawning void…help me…"

"Is it just me or does the statue seems….afraid?" Jenra asked.

"Yes I'm getting that also, I think the tears in the Veil is causing its distress" Finn said. "Which means the statue is useless to us until we mend the Veil" The party went around the basement fighting the sentinels and sealing the tears. Once they were done, they made it back to the statue to speak with it.

"I am the spirit of Eleni Zinovia, once consort and …"

"Advisor of Archon Valerius, blah, blah, fall of the house. Yes, yes we've been through that" Finn said impatiently.

"Finn…greetings"

"So you and the statue are…close?" Jenra asked.

"We've conversed before on the Imperium" he said. "It's difficult to get straight answers out of it, you have to get through all the pretentious, grandiose mumbo-jumbo" Finn went back to the statue. "We know where a broken Eluvian lies; can it be used to find the others?"

"Scry, the broken glass, dagger-sharp, will be your key"

Jenra looked at Finn. "Scry?"

"It's a very obscure magical technique, basically trying to foretell the future" Finn explained.

"The lights of Arlathan will illuminate the scryer's path" the statue said. "The archons possessed them, but they were misused, befouled and lost, like so much the Imperium touched"

"Some were saved, carried by fugitives from the elven city. Their sorrow awoke the Stone, and her children sheltered them" it said. "In the deep halls of Cad'halash they found sanctuary, there the Lights of Arlathan lie, shielded from unworthy eyes"

"Cad'halash? I've never heard of such a place…" Finn said.

"I have, the statue must mean Cadash thaig" Jenra said. "But for the dwarves there to shelter Arlathan's elves, the thaig must be old…older than Orzammar believes it to be"

"I had not realized the durgen'len had once aided my people when they fled" Ariane said. "We must go; I'm interested in learning more"

"Goodbye Finn, we will not speak again" The mage was taken aback by the statue's remark, before he could ask what it mean, the statue went cold and dark. The party went back up and with Hadley.

* * *

 _ **Kinloch Hold**_

"I see you're alive, that's good to know" the Templar said. "The problem has been dealt with?"

"Yes, it should be safe to down there again" Jenra said.

"Thank the Maker for your help"

"If you don't mind, I would like to borrow Finn for a little while longer"

"Hmm? Sure" Hadley said.

Jenra blinked, that was quick. "Really? Like that?"

"Yes, Finn had permission to leave the tower to continue his research some time ago" he said. "He's strange one for sure, most mages would relish the chance to leave the Circle even for a short while, but Finn finds every excuse in the book to not leave the library."

"Exercise with do him some good" He looked at Finn. "Now you behave yourself out there, Finn"

Finn groaned. "Yes, mother" The party headed to the exit and took the boar back to the docks.

"Now mage, tell us what's going on" Ariane said.

"The Eluvians are linked, all of them. If you have one, you can find the others…assuming they even still exist" Finn said. "But the one you know of is broken, and corrupted. So we need something else to…amplify the magic"

"The Lights of Arlathan"

"Correct"

"And knowing Morrigan…we find these Eluvians, we find her" Finn was clapping his hand together while giggling in glee.

"This is exciting, we're actually going to find an Eluvian" the mage said.

* * *

 _ **Between Lothering and Brecilian Forest**_

Halfway to Brecilian Forest, Jenra could see the sun quickly going down. It would be dangerous to continue after dark, he went into a shallow cave. Nothing seemed to be nesting in it and it had some good protection from the elements. Jenra planted his sword into the ground. "This seems like a good place"

"Good place? Good place for what?" Finn asked.

"For a place to rest, we can get a good start to the forest in the morning" Jenra said. "Gather what you can find, and we'll have a meal" The party spread out looking for food, Finn complained all the way much to the annoyance of Ariane.

"Could you stop your whining? You'll scare the quarry away" she said.

"Ugh, why couldn't we just take a rest back at the town we just passed?"

"Because we don't have much in the way of coin" Ariane said. "Besides, human settlements are not very welcoming to the Dalish"

"Besides, the outdoors will do you some good" she said. "It may actually make a man out of you"

Finn snorted. "Do me some good…do you not see this spot here on my robe?"

"That insignificant speck? I just thought that was part of the design of your robe" the elf said.

"That's mud. There's no mud in the tower! I miss being cozy and dry" The mage heard buzzing around him and slapped the back of his neck. "I can do without these mosquitoes, hungry for sweet untasted mage flesh"

"Well you should have thought of that before tagging along"

"Like I was going to pass up the chance to learn about the ancient elves and the mirrors" Finn said. "Besides, the company is good"

"Oh…thanks" Ariane said touched.

"I meant the dog"

"Ass" Soon the party came together with the items they picked up and had a meal to last them through the night. When morning came, they set off for Brecilian Forest.

* * *

 ** _Brecilian_** _ **Forest-Elven Ruins**_

The Elven Ruins are an assemblage of dilapidated underground ruins within the Brecilian Forest with what is perceived to be human architecture yet containing elven artifacts. Statues of the old elven pantheon, such as Falon'Din, the Friend of the Dead, still line the hallways as lifeless reminders of better days. As the party entered, they had to watch their step as some floors crumbled with the slightest pressure and the roof cracked and threaten to fall on them. These ruins were not long for this world.

"These are the ruins of the two hunters discovered. The broken Eluvian should be around here" Ariane said.

"Ooh, I'm so excited!" Finn said. In the halls of the ruins, they were ambushed by elves infected by the taint. Finn cast a grease spell to knock the archers of their feet; Fenrir charged and ripped one of the elf's throat out. Jenra cut down the arrows and cut them down before they could reload. Ariane could hear inhuman screams from behind, and ducked when a claw came for her head. A shriek attacked with a flurry of swipes, the elf cut off the hands and then went for the head.

"These people were very sick before they died. Ir abelas, lethallin" Ariane prayed.

"You…don't think it's contagious, do you?" Finn asked nervously.

"As long as you don't take the blood into your mouth, you should be fine" Deeper into the ruins, they were attacked by more tainted warriors and shrieks. The party fought their way to heart of the ruins where an altar holding a broken mirror was waiting for them. Shards were one the ground, Jenra could sense the taint radiating from them. Since he was a Grey Warden, Jenra came up and took a piece off the ground.

"I can't believe this is one of the Eluvians. It's magnificent…and broken" Finn said. "Mostly broken…we have a shard but we still need the Lights of Arlathan"

"To Cadash Thaig then"

* * *

 _ **Cadash Thaig**_

Since the end of the Fifth Blight, the darkspawn had once again prowled the Deep Roads with Orzammar on high alert against the horde. The party had to fight through waves of the dark creatures that seemed endless but fate would give them some respite to allow them to make it Cadash Thaig. "It's hard to breathe with all this stone around me. I…I hope this is all in my head" Finn said. "Wait, why did we stop? Is this Cadash thaig?"

Jenra nodded. "Yes, just getting our bearings"

Finn took out some folded paper out of his pockets and shuffled through them. "Right. So, I've…er been going through my old notes. Hmm"

"And?"

"And I came across this footnote…apparently, the elves would magically conceal relics of great significance, thus shielding them from unworthy eyes" he said. "Given what Tevinter did, I'd say they count as unworthy"

"You don't say" Ariane said dryly.

"So they're under an enchantment"

"That would be my guess…though the Lights of Arlathan might just be buried in the ground, too" Finn said. "Very deeply in fact, considering this thaig was built on the ruins of Cad'halash"

"Wait, how deep are we talking about?" The elf asked.

"Well…er, several miles below us…"

"I liked the other theory more"

"If the elves concealed the relics with magic, only their kin could reveal them" the mage said. "Ariane, we need your blood"

"Wait, what?!" Ariane asked taking a few steps back.

"I only need a few drops, that's all" he said. "And before you start, it's not blood magic…it doesn't power the spell, it's just a component" Jenra and Ariane looked at Finn, not convinced. "Okay, so it's a very grey area, so let's just keep this between the three of us. Shall we?" Fenrir gave an offended bark. "Four of us"

"It has to be you Ariane, the enchantment will only recognize the blood of Arlathan elves"

"Fine, only because hearing that gets me all tingly. A few drops" Finn nodded and took out a small dagger.

"I'll…be gentle" he cut the finger and Ariane gave a small yelp as blood dropped in a vial. Ariane sucked on her finger to stop the bleeding. "My spell should reveal vortices of magic, standing in them should allow us to see the energy being drawn to the relics, which will lead us to them" The party continued on into the thaig.

 _ **The search continues! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!**_


	47. Chapter 47: Witch Hunt pt4

**Chapter 47: Witch Hunt pt4**

 _ **Cadash Thaig**_

The party went in deeper into the thaig fighting the darkspawn and the beasts of the Deep Road to find the Light of Arlathan. Using the ritual fueled by Ariane's blood, they found the magical vertices that showed the way to the lights. As they followed the paths, the party found out some harsh truths about how this thaig fell. After the fall of Arlathan, the elves escaping Tevinter's onslaught were sheltered by the dwarves of this thaig even though the dwarves were strong allies of the Imperium. Fearing Tevinter's wrath, the other thaigs banded together to destroy Cad'halash and hid all evidence of its existence. As predicted this information angered Ariane.

From this ruin, the thaig was rebuilt, repopulated and renamed Cadash. The streams of magic flowed and led them to one of the lights which turned out to be old magical lanterns. They were attacked by stone statues powered by lyrium and magic. Each lantern they found the guardians attack became more and more intense. Once all of the lights were gathered, they pointed to spot good for scrying, a valley of green hills where the sun shone through large cracks in the ceiling.

"Prepare yourself, the ritual might attract some unwanted attention" Finn said. "You'll have to protect me while I do the scrying" The lanterns were sat in a circle bathed in light, while Finn stepped in the center and began the ritual. Soon afterwards demons appeared and headed for the mage. Jenra sliced through several demons with his spirit brand while Ariane and Fenrir kept close to Finn and struck the demons down before they got close. After a while the demons stopped coming and Finn was able to finish the ritual. The mage sighed. "Am I bleeding?" He looked down at his robe. "Oh look, a rip in my robe" Finn soon fainted either from exhaustion or the little scratch that barely drew blood.

Ariane crossed her arms in annoyance. "What happened to, 'Ariane, give us your blood. Who cares if it hurts?'"

Finn got off the ground. "It's different if it's my blood"

Jenra shook his head. "Did the ritual work?"

"Uh, yeah I found another Eluvian…in a place with lots of bones"

"Bones…like a graveyard?" Ariane asked.

"The Dragonbone Wastes" Jenra then sighed. "And here I thought I would be done with such that place"

"Hmm, a graveyard of dragons….that makes sense, dragons are said have great power that stays with them even in death" Finn said. "The Imperium must have moved it there, thinking the ancient bones could enhance the Eluvian's power"

"But when I was there, and I saw no mirror"

"It might be hidden…or only appear to those who know its location" the mage said. "We examine this mirror. It might give clues to what Morrigan is doing. If she's looking for the Eluvians as well, she might even be there"

"I can only hope…" Jenra said to himself. "Let's go before more darkspawn show up"

* * *

 _ **Between West Hill and Amaranthine**_

"Aw, camping again?" Finn complained.

"Quit your whining it's only for one more night" Finn grumbled as the party set up camp. While she was setting up her bedding, Ariane noticed Jenra toying with the ring on his finger. The warden did it a lot when he was by himself and thought no one was watching him. The ring didn't look like anything special, just a twisted loop of rosewood but Jenra kept it close.

"That ring, you play with it often" she said. Jenra snapped out of daze and looked at Ariane.

"I don't play with it"

"Poor choice of words, perhaps. Is it special? Magical?"

"Morrigan gave it to me…a long time ago" Ariane was taken aback by his tone, it was sad and longing. Jenra told her that Morrigan was just a friend but the elf started to suspect that maybe their relationship was much more than he was telling her.

"I've often heard that a ring is very significant in human culture, are you and Morrigan…?"

Jenra chuckled. "As if she would allow herself to be tied in such a way, Morrigan is too much of a free spirit for that" he said. "The truth is I was in love with Morrigan…still am" Jenra told her the story of how he met Morrigan, their adventures together…how they got close. "The final battle was fast approaching, before we were thrusted into battle with the Archdemon…we made love" he said. "That union…produced a child, our child"

"If you two were in love then why did she leave?"

"She had a duty to the world of magic, just like I had a duty to Thedas" Jenra said. "And for a while it was easy to ignore that hole in my heart by burying myself in my duties but...hearing about her, everything rushed back"

"What will you do when you reach her?" Ariane asked.

"Whatever she is facing, I want to face it with her" he said. "And to be honest, I don't have a lot of people I call family left"

Ariane placed a gentle hand on Jenra's shoulder. "We'll find her, you'll have my word"

"Thank you, I'll get your peoples' book back. You have my word"

* * *

 _ **The Dragonbone Wastes**_

The party made it to the Dragonbone Wastes, a year after the defeat of the Architect and the Mother and the wastes was still a dreary and desolate place. The spirits of the dragons that inhabited this place was still as restless as they were before. The party would have to move quickly as to not to incur the wastes' wrath.

"We're here; keep your eyes open for dragons. And mirrors" As they headed for Drake's fall, they heard roars and inhuman growls. "Maker's Breath, what is that?" In the distance, Jenra saw several dragonlings with a mage in the back. The darkspawn was driven out and replaced with dragon cultists.

"Watch your surroundings, there are more nearby" Jenra cut down a lunging dragonling while Finn cast a protective spell to block the cultist mage. Ariane cut through two more dragonlings and rushed the enemy mage before he could get off another spell. With a flash of her swords, the mage fell and the party continued forward.

"I've never met a dragon worshipper before. Not much for small talk, are they?" Finn said.

"Why would anyone worship a dragon?" Ariane asked.

"Dragons are big, powerful, and they breathe fire" The elf just looked at him with a raised brow. "Some people are easily impressed"

"Don't underestimate the cultists; I fought some before….their strange abilities are deadly and their ferocity is matched only by the dragons they worship" Jenra said. Along the way, they fought more of the cultists and their dragonlings. They used traps to slow them down but it wasn't enough to impede there progress, after dealing with the latest wave, the party was close to the entrance of Drake's Fall. But something felt wrong, it was quiet…too quiet, Jenra had thought the dragon cultists had something prepared for them but nothing came. It wasn't like them to give up so easily, especially when it came to dragons. "Be on your guard…something doesn't feel right"

As they got close to entrance, Finn's eyes went wide and the mage pointed up. "What…is…that?" A large creature was on one of the towers….a strange creature that had the scales of a reptile but the multiple legs of an insect. Ariane backed away in fear.

"It can't be, they're only legends!" the elf said.

"Ariane?"

"A….a varterral…" she said. According to the Dalish, the first varterral was created in the days before Arlathan. A high dragon attacked a mountain city beloved by Dirthamen, and the elven god fashioned the fallen trees of the forest into a deadly guardian that drove back the serpent. Elves tell that the varterral has kept its vigil ever since, even over the ruins. They also say that if magically bound to guard something, a varterral will stay alive no matter how many times it is defeated, a lot like a golem. Varterrals thrive in secluded places and hunt elk and bears. They have a rocky carapace, attack with fast strikes and spit caustic poison.

At least some of them have no eyes and thus are completely blind, which is offset by the ability to feel movements through the ground like a snake and, according to legend, to taste the guilt of intruders. "It is said they were rock and tree, wind and rain, given form and breath by the Creators to protect the people"

The varterral then looked down at the party and with a low growl jumped down to face them. "To protect elves? Then why does it look like it's going to eat you?" Finn asked nervously. The creature then gave a loud high pitched screech and charged.

"Move!" It quickly turned around and spat out a purple goo out of its maw and Finn quickly put up a barrier to protect the party. It worked for a while…

"Maker's breath, it's actually eating through my magic…I've never heard of any creature doing that" Ariane and Jenra flanked the varterral from both sides to knock it off balance. It's scales were hard enough for their swords to just bounce off of it. Fenrir lunged at the creature but the varterral just smacked the hound back with one of it's limbs. Finn casts a lightning spell but all it did was just make creature madder. The party fell back to regroup as the creature circled them. "So if anyone has a plan on not to get eaten, I would love to hear it now" Finn said.

"Ariane, varterral's must have some kind of weakness" Jenra said.

The elf gulped. "Unfortunately, the legends weren't real clear on that" she said. "It is said the only thing that could match a varterral is a high dragon and even they have trouble with it"

"Oh Maker we are going to die!" Out in the distance they could hear more growls, this time behind them. "Don't tell me there are more of these things"

Jenra looked back and frowned. "No worse, the cultists are back" The dragon cultists charged down the hill with their dragons. An attack from both them and the varterral would be a death sentence. "Damn it…" The party prepared for the worst but to their surprise the cultists ignored them and attacked the varterral. The drakes and young dragons shot streams of fire at the creature while the archers hit it was a barrage of arrows. The mages bind it's movements while their reavers slashed at the legs. The varterral retaliated in kind by crushing one of the warriors and melting two of the cult's drakes while the party stood there in shock.

"Is this real?" Finn asked.

"Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth" Jenra said. "Let them fight amongst themselves"

"You don't have to tell me twice" The party retreated into Drake's Fall while the cultists and the varterral continued their battle.

* * *

 _ **Darke's Fall/ The Nest**_

Once they made inside, it was a long and surprisingly quiet trek to the end. These ruins were so full of the darkspawn's corruption at one point and now there is barely anything left of it. There were dragon eggs everywhere, now they understood why the cultists were fighting with such fury…a high dragon made a nest here after the darkspawn were cleared out of here. They made it to the deepest darkest part of the Mother's lair…again there was nothing left of the darkspawn's corruption, except one thing…the decayed remnants of the Mother's tentacles but her corpse was nowhere to be found. They continued on into the center of the lair, Fenrir started to bark and grew excited.

"What's with your hound, Jenra?" Finn asked. Fenrir soon ran off ahead of them, in the distance they could see a large mirror held in place by two large statues. In front of the mirror was a beautiful young woman, dressed in loose robes that showed off much her body. She was pacing as if she was waiting around for something or…someone. Fenrir came up to her and greeted her as one would an old friend; the woman went down on one knee and smiled as she pat his head. She then gazed forward with a serious and melancholy face for this was a bittersweet moment for the warden and the witch.

"Is that…?" Ariane asked.

Jenra nodded. "Yes it is, Ariane…Finn, I like you to meet Morrigan"

 _ **The reunion of two lovers…Next Time! As Always Review and Comment!**_


	48. Chapter 48: Witch Hunt-The Farewell

_**The Final Chapter of Jenra's story is here! But stay tuned as we continue our adventures in Thedas!**_

 **Chapter 48: Witch Hunt-The Farewell**

 _Morrigan was unlike any woman I had met before, an uncanny beauty that rivals that of Andraste herself, a tongue as sharp as any blade, and a nature as mysterious and untamed as the wilds she hailed from. She was a witch of the Wilds and the daughter of the infamous Flemeth…I had heard the tales, all of Thedas has, the tales of the daughters of Flemeth tell of twisted, monstrous women who can kill a man with fear. But it is strange despite the stories; I had never felt such a thing from Morrigan...yes she was a dangerous woman and yes she could be cruel with her words but as I gotten to know her I found that she had a kindness in her that she hides from others and even from herself. Soon we became close…very close, and although she had her own plans, she could not deny the feeling we had for one another. On the eve of battle with the archdemon, we made love and a child came into being, our child. After the battle, Morrigan disappeared but I always thought about her and our child. When Alistair's men spotted her, the feeling I thought buried resurfaced. I would find Morrigan and this time I would not let her go.-Jenra's Journal_

 _ **The Nest**_

The party continued on into the center of the lair, Fenrir started to bark and grew excited. "What's with your hound, Jenra?" Finn asked. Fenrir soon ran off ahead of them, in the distance they could see a large mirror held in place by two large statues. In front of the mirror was a beautiful young woman, dressed in loose robes that showed off much her body. She was pacing as if she was waiting around for something or…someone. Fenrir came up to her and greeted her as one would an old friend; the woman went down on one knee and smiled as she pat his head. She then gazed forward with a serious and melancholy face for this was a bittersweet moment for the warden and the witch.

"Is that…?" Ariane asked.

Jenra nodded. "Yes it is, Ariane…Finn, I like you to meet Morrigan"

"The Eluvian! And it's…glowing? We should…" Ariane held the mage back as she saw Morrigan walk towards the mirror and stroke it, the Eluvian made waves like water. The witch then looked back at them.

Ariane looked at Jenra. "She's…expecting you" Jenra walked toward the Eluvian, Fenrir went to his side. Morrigan turned around and crossed her arms; she looked away for the moment. Then she locked eyes with Jenra, there was sadness in them.

"No further, please…" she said. "I assume you know what this is"

"I have gone to great lengths to find and activate this portal. Give me reason and I use it, you'll not be able to follow"

"Then why haven't you left, if that's true?" he asked.

"I remained because I sensed your approach" Morrigan then gazed at Jenra's finger. "You kept the ring, tell me: why did you come?"

"I thought it would be obvious…I couldn't let it end like that" Jenra said.

"We had a deal…a deal you are breaking" she said softly. "What can you hope to gain by coming here now?"

"The woman I love"

"Still the same sentimental fool, I see…" Morrigan said. "I will never understand you and you will never understand me"

"We helped each other even so" Jenra said.

"Yes…I suppose we did" the witch then sighed. "I would not even know where to begin explaining"

"Then explain this…where is the child?"

"He is safe…" Jenra took a step back as if the breath taken out of him, he has a son. "…and beyond your reach" Morrigan said. "All you need know is that the child is an innocent. He knows nothing of the destiny that lies before him"

"That's not good enough"

"Because the child is yours, I understand" Morrigan then turned away. "I will not share my plan with you, I dare not. If your trust is insufficient, then your anger will have to do" Anger boiled within Jenra; this was always the most frustrating thing about her…the vagueness, the riddles. Did she think so little of him that he wouldn't understand or help? The doubts came back and soon his anger came out.

"Why did you betray me?!" Morrigan was taken aback this time and she gave him the coldest of glares.

"I never betrayed you; I left, just as I said I would"

"Because you left me no choice!" Jenra yelled.

"And what choice did I have? How was I to know that the battle with the archdemon would come so soon?" she asked. "And when it did, I came to you. I needed you, yes, but I also did not want to see you die"

"And here you stand, alive. So do not speak to me of betrayal" The two of them were silent for a while, unable to look at each other…even after all these years the emotions of that day was still raw. "Then allow me to provide you a warning" Morrigan said. "'Tis Flemeth you should beware of, not me. Hunt her, if you hunt anyone"

"Flemeth?! But she's dead!" Jenra said shocked. "I struck the killing blow myself!"

"My mother has always been a master at cheating death, and more. She is no more finished than I am" Morrigan came down the stairs, her eyes switched from anger to fear. It was an emotion Jenra was unaccustomed to seeing from the witch and it unnerved the warden to no end. "I thought I knew what Flemeth planned. I thought what she craved was immortality"

"And yet I was wrong, so very wrong" she said. "She is no blood mage, no abomination…she is not even truly human"

"The ritual was but a means to an end, a herald to what is to come"

"Why? What is going to happen?" Jenra asked.

"Change is coming to the world and the fear of it is as primal as death itself. Many will fight it with every fibre of their being" Morrigan said. "But sometimes change is what they need most, sometimes, change is what sets them free"

"And is that what you want? To be free?" Morrigan hesitated to answer.

"What I want…is unimportant now" she said sadly. The witch turned and walked towards the Eluvian and Jenra followed. "I cannot tarry long; the time has come for me to go"

"Take me with you" Morrigan looked at Jenra with eyes wide; again this man surprises her. To plunge himself into the kind of unknown that would drive most mad and Jenra is willing to do it with hesitation or fear…he truly was a fool. But then again maybe it was that kind of daring foolishness that made her fall for him.

"Jenra…you cannot know what you ask" Morrigan said. 'Twould be better if you stayed. For you, for us both"

"You are the most stubborn, frustrating woman I have ever met…but I can't imagine life without you" Jenra said. "I want to be with you, no matter what" A small smile formed on the witch's mouth.

"Then come, my love. We will face the future together" Morrigan came into his embrace and kissed Jenra's lips…it felt good to feel his skin on hers once again. She turned to the Eluvian and touched it. "Mythal enansal andran atish'an" The purple aura of the Eluvian shattered and showed a world beyond anything Jenra had seen. Jenra looked back at the young mage and elf.

"Ah, before I forget…Morrigan, the book if you please" Morrigan gave up a large tome written in ancient elven, she was more that done with the tome. "Finn, Ariane…this is where we part ways, thank you for all your help" he said. "As promised" Jenra sat the tome on the ground. Morrigan and Jenra smiled at one another and pass through the Eluvian with Fenrir close behind. In a bright flash, they were gone and the mirror went silent.

* * *

 _ **The Imperial Highway**_

After retrieving the Dalish tome, Ariane and Finn headed topside. When they left Drake's Fall, they saw gruesome sight...corpses upon corpses. The dragon cultist fought against the varterral and succeeded in killing with the cost of many of the cultist and their dragons lives. The wastes were back to its eerie silence and the duo left the wastes before that changed. Ariane looked at the tome. "A long time coming…but the Keeper will be happy to see this" Ariane said. "So mage I take it you will want go back to the warm and dryness of the circle"

"Eh, nah" Ariane looked at him surprised. "I think I'll continue traveling with you, Ariane" This had certainly been an experience for the mage, he was not used to rolling around in the mud or fighting for his life but he had been changed. And seeing all of the wonders of Thedas up close was much more engaging than seeing it in a book. Now that Finn tasted freedom for the first time in a long time…he now understood why that Anders guys tried so hard to escape.

"You know if you do this, you'll become an apostate" the elf said. "They'll send Templars after you"

Finn had a big grin on his face. "Fine by me, until they're able to catch me…there's so much I want to see" the mage then grew serious. "Hmm, do you wonder what Jenra and the hound are up to right now?" he said. "I mean, who knows what goes on inside of an Eluvian"

Ariane looked up in the sky and gave a small smile. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about them…I think they're just fine"

Finn raised a brow. "Really? How do you know?"

"Women's intuition"

* * *

 _ **Unknown**_

"Maker's Breath…" Jenra said in awe. It was unlike anything he had seen before. He was in clouded world that was littered with strange tree like structures and hundreds or perhaps thousands of Eluvians all in different shapes, sizes and designs. In the distance was large buildings covered in mist, so close and yet far away. "Is this…?"

"The Fade? 'Tis not, it is a plane beyond that realm and the waking world" She described this would as pockets within the Fade with their own rules of reality formed by ancient elves from the fabric of time and space. It's true name was lost to time and so Morrigan gave it a new name: The Crossroads. "This nexus was to the ancient elves as the Deep Roads were to the dwarves or the Imperial Highway was to the old Imperium and the people of today" she said. "They ancient elves left no roads, only ruins hidden in far-flung corners. This is how they traveled between then"

"As you can see, most of the mirrors are dark: broken, corrupted, or unusable" Morrigan said. "As for the rest…a few can be opened from this side, but only a few"

"Amazing…if the elves could do all of this" Jenra said.

Morrigan nodded. "Yes, it seems remarkable that the Magisters of the old Imperium could ever challenge them" she said. "But alas, this plane is not long for this world…I can sense the decay and it is rapidly spreading"

"Are we safe here?"

"For a time, yes" Jenra, Morrigan, and Fenrir headed into one of the buildings. The inside was full of books, very old books…knowledge is power and nowhere was truer than Arlathan. Jenra could only chuckle, of course his love would find shelter in a library. As they went deeper in, Jenra could hear the crying of an infant and soon his heart beat was anticipation. Morrigan came forward to a crib next to a bed, with a gentle smile picked up the child and walked towards Jenra. "Jenra, I would like you to meet your son"

She handed the child over to Jenra; he had skin that was a mixture of Morrigan's ivory and Jenra's ebony skin. He had light brown hair that he no doubt inherited from Jenra's father. The boy then opened his eyes…he had his mother's golden eyes that marked him as the son of the Witch of the Wilds. He smiled and cooed as he reached of Jenra's face. Tears ran down the warden's face as he gave a joyful smile. "Hello there little one, I'm your father" he said. "Morrigan have you named him?"

"I have, his name is Kieran" Kieran Cousland would go on to have a life of trials and tribulation as a herald of the new age but he would face it with great courage thanks to his beloved parents, the Witch of the Wilds and the Hero of Ferelden.

 _ **A moment's peace, a just reward. As always Review and Comment!**_


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